Chapter Thirty: Anti-Entropy Attack

Peeling an apple was the quickest way to build a persona.

But Chen Ran had not built his persona quite well enough.

Wendy could not help asking, "Why are you so good to me?"

Logically speaking, although she was an A-rank Valkyrie, she was now a disabled person carrying a Herrscher Gem—a ticking time bomb.

Chen Ran, meanwhile, had only been able to join Schicksal because he was a genius in a certain field.

From that perspective, finding a girlfriend should not have been difficult for Chen Ran. Yet he and Wendy had not actually crossed paths much, and neither was familiar with the other's field.

However...

Based on Wendy's understanding of Chen Ran, it would probably be difficult to get a serious answer out of him.

"Housing prices are too high. I can't afford a house, can't afford to raise children, can't afford a bride price... I finally met someone adorably dumb, so of course I have to scam her as hard as I can."

Chen Ran handed Wendy the mangled apple he had peeled.

Wendy did not mind. She took a bite.

It was sweet.

"I want to hear the truth."

The girl grabbed his palm with her other hand. "Some people say you're a liar, but I believe you're not."

"I think... you'll stand by my side, right?"

Her calm words revealed her unease. The more she enjoyed his tenderness, the more afraid she became that it was all a dream.

Chen Ran looked into her eyes and felt somewhat guilty.

He really was a liar.

But now was not the time to reveal it.

"Of course I'll stand by your side. After all..."

Before he could finish, Wendy interrupted him.

"Bring your head over here."

"Come closer."

He obediently did as she said, then saw Wendy place her hand around his neck and press her lips to his.

It was not the first time the girl had done this. This time, she was even bolder, and Chen Ran could feel her soft tongue crossing his boundaries.

The young man's eyes grew slightly hazy. At a time like this, any unnecessary words would have been insincere.

Yet when he pulled Wendy into his arms, what he felt was not joy, but the girl's fear.

"This is everything I can give you. I'm so afraid you'll abandon me."

If she had not been afraid of losing him, the girl could never have been so proactive.

Chen Ran patted her back as an emotion called guilt spread through his mind.

He persuaded himself inwardly: this was all something he had to do.

"How could I abandon you?"

Chen Ran tried not to let Wendy notice his emotions and said softly, "Actually, I should be the one who's afraid."

"Why?"

"Look at how outstanding and beautiful you are. Once your legs recover, you'll definitely become a qualified, even outstanding warrior. There will probably be many prominent people pursuing you too. And I'm just..."

Before he could finish, Theresa's voice suddenly came from outside the door.

"Oh, Hua, what are you doing standing at the door?"

Chen Ran & Wendy: "..."

Europe, above the Mediterranean Sea, Floating Island.

Amber expressionlessly placed the documents on the desk of the man before her, Otto.

"Lord Bishop, these are the materials regarding the Far East Branch that you asked me to pay special attention to. I've already organized them all."

"Understood, Amber."

Amber withdrew.

Otto, meanwhile, absentmindedly flipped through the documents.

"K423 has arrived at St. Freya just as expected. The Herrscher of Thunder is there as well."

"What a pleasantly surprising accident. While Schicksal was carrying out the Divine Right Plan, Anti-Entropy had also begun preparing an identical plan—and had even gotten ahead of me."

"The success of the plan involving the Herrscher of Thunder, as well as the Divine Right Plan's near-success, are both verifying one thing for me."

"The Sirin Plan will soon be back on track."

If anyone had looked through the documents in Otto's hands, they would have been surprised to find that they were all personal files.

Kiana, Raiden Mei, Bronya...

As well as Chen Ran and Wendy.

In truth, Otto could fail, and he feared failure as well. Otherwise, he would not have sacrificed Cecilia of the Sanyat family, the person who had supported him the most, during the Second Honkai War.

The Sirin Plan he intended to carry out was likewise a plan whose chances of failure exceeded its chances of success. After reviewing all the materials from the Pre-Civilization Era, he had discovered that the Sirin Plan itself contained far too many flaws.

Defeating the Honkai with love... Without a tangible successful example, Otto had never truly believed in it.

But things were different now.

Raiden Mei's appearance meant that a tangible example had already succeeded.

And although the Divine Right Plan had encountered some twists, it was still unfolding perfectly according to the script he had envisioned.

The Divine Right Plan itself existed to provide an example and fill in the gaps for the Sirin Plan.

Now that there was already a successful example.

He had even more confidence in what came next.

"Let me see just how great a surprise you'll bring me, Chen Ran."

Chapter Thirty: Anti-Entropy Attack

"Everything in the experiment has been proceeding very smoothly, and Wendy's physical condition has also been gradually improving."

St. Freya, inside the laboratory.

Himeko looked at the man in a white lab coat bustling about before her and said, "Your earlier suggestion to have Wendy teach the students was the right call. Her mood really is a crucial factor in the experiment's success."

Chen Ran nodded expressionlessly.

That was right. Having Wendy become the students' coach had been a suggestion he made to both Wendy and Himeko.

No matter how carefree Himeko was, she would not have wanted Wendy to face strange looks. After all, being disabled meant being seen as different and weak. Whether it was pity or mockery, both would inflict the same harm on her.

But Chen Ran knew that Wendy had to calmly and wholeheartedly accept herself.

Only then would the Herrscher consciousness not magnify the negative emotions in her heart, allowing the experiment to come infinitely close to success.

This was the result Durandal had simulated, and nothing had gone wrong up to this point.

"Next comes high-intensity memory battlefield training. Once Wendy awakens the power of her stigmata, the experiment will come infinitely close to success."

Himeko paused, then looked toward Chen Ran. "However, there's something I want to ask."

"Was everything you showed Wendy also part of the experiment?"

Chen Ran woke up, his pillow soaked in sweat.

His breathing grew heavy, and it took him a long time to calm down.

It was a dream. Though he was in a simulated scenario, he could still dream.

According to biology, dreams were generally caused by irregular routines, excessive psychological pressure, and other factors. They could also result from mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety.

"Maybe my consciousness capacity is about to reach its limit again. After all, how could I possibly be anxious?"

He mocked himself, yet his eyes were filled with sorrow that could not be dispelled.

This was a room meant for only one person.

Aside from a few simple tables, chairs, and a computer, there was almost nothing else.

Being alone meant he did not need to pretend, nor did he need to deceive himself.

Chen Ran felt that he was committing a crime.

He was exploiting subtle psychology to conduct an experiment.

Although it was an experiment that benefited everyone, although this was merely a simulated scenario, he had still deceived someone else's feelings.

He took a deep breath and tried to push away his complicated emotions.

Then Chen Ran could no longer sleep.

Lying in bed, he suddenly felt an indescribable sense of suffocation and irritation. He reached for the phone beside his pillow and saw that it was only four in the morning.

The sweat-soaked bed was uncomfortable. He put on warm pajamas, got out of bed, pulled open the curtains, and looked at the distant starry sky.

It was already past midnight, and the sky was gray and hazy.

The moon hung alone in the night sky, carrying a unique beauty in the winter air.

Clouds seemed to drift past, and he saw a shadow fall over the pure white moon.

The shadow grew larger and larger...

"Fuck, it's a Floating Battleship."

St. Freya had come under attack from Anti-Entropy, and alarms immediately blared throughout the base.

No one knew what had possessed Anti-Entropy in the middle of the night. Chen Ran hurriedly got dressed and opened his door.

Based on his understanding of the plot, Anti-Entropy should have attacked St. Freya in 2015, and their target should have been Raiden Mei.

But now, it had happened earlier.

That meant their target was very likely Wendy.

He immediately knocked on Hua's door. At the time, the three of them lived in a four-person dormitory, each with their own room. As long as they were careful, privacy was not much of a concern.

Not long afterward, Hua emerged fully dressed as well.

"Whew, thank goodness."

He took a deep breath and said, "Hua, Anti-Entropy is attacking St. Freya. I suspect they're here for Wendy. Please protect her."

"Mm, all right."

But before the two could finish speaking, the door to their dormitory was kicked open.

"The target really is here."

A man who looked remarkably like Welt wore a vicious expression. "I don't want to fight. You two, get the hell out of here!"

Hua's eyes narrowed, and she immediately struck first.

There was no time for her to put on her Valkyrie Armor, but even so, as an A-rank Valkyrie, her fists were not something an ordinary person could withstand.

However, this man was not ordinary.

After Hua threw her punch, power resembling that of a Herrscher Core surged from his body.

Chen Ran frowned slightly, only to feel his body growing heavier.