Lord Otto's Problem / The Third Party Who Came Between Them

Amidst the lush greenery, the staggered, silver-white metallic buildings almost cover the entire island, and the hidden weapons such as medium- and long-range surface-to-air missile groups, autonomous turrets, and close-range defensive machine guns have all been locked down one after another.

"Who dares to run wild on Ai-chan's turf! Unforgivable!"

In the control room, where the red alert was displayed across the entire screen, the qipao girl with the cabbage-shaped haircut gritted her teeth, wanting to call up all programs and auxiliary weapons to fight back, only to find that her privileges had been downgraded without her noticing!

What happened? I've been restricted from working from within? Who did this?! Bastard! This is a total rip-off!

[Schicksal] AI Ai frowned in frustration, almost going crazy inside. This delay allowed the hackers outside to break in and take over almost 80% of the main system operation of the Floating Island.

In the ensuing reversal, the drones that Ai had just been piloting were blown up in mid-air by their own artillery as soon as they stepped out of the hatch.

For safety reasons, the Lord Bishop took almost everyone on the Floating Island with him...

There's no other way! Let's ask other branches for help!

The unwilling Artificial Intelligence had no choice but to take the most appropriate measures based on its Logical Algorithm.

However, the signal was instantly intercepted as soon as it was sent, and dozens of black pillars floated in mid-air, forming a tight net that enveloped the Schicksal Headquarters.

"Neutron Disruptor! Who came up with this thing ahead of time?!"

"It's all over! We're completely finished! Only the main unit in the control room is still working..."

The cabbage head girl stared at the crimson ghost face formed by the massive data stream on the screen, immediately covered her face, and retreated to a corner in terror, trembling.

Three figures disembarked and walked unimpeded, with fountains flowing along the way and birds chirping and insects humming incessantly. Freed from the taint of technology, the place regained its natural and pure charm.

Upon reaching the central plaza, Hatsune Miku was the first to leave the group, grinning maliciously as she lay down on the ground and started planting "mushrooms."

Rocks, springs, lawns, corridors... one after another, small, compressed metal spheres were stuffed into different corners.

After finishing, the girl clapped her hands contentedly and headed towards the control room, ready to have a friendly meeting with her lovely colleague and discuss their ideals for life.

The two who entered the magnificent Gothic building each took out a mask and put it on, using the identification code they obtained from Hatsune Miku to open the door to the Bishop's Hall.

Dappled sunlight filters through the rose-colored stained glass, casting delicate patterns on the marble floor. The Golden Cross standing in the center exudes a sacred and ethereal aura.

A petite figure, draped in a black veil and dressed in a nun's habit, was quietly praying in the Bishop's Hall with her back to the two people. Her shadow, elongated by the sunlight on both sides, seemed to form a pair of hidden wings.

The uninvited guest did not disturb the girl's prayer; he simply waited quietly.

Three minutes later, the young nun slowly turned around, pursed her lips, and whispered.

"Take what you want and hurry up, I won't tell Grandpa..."

"Otherwise, if he comes back, no one will survive..."

The uninvited guest shook his head slightly. His voice, after being processed, had no distinguishing features, but the strange, gloomy feeling made one feel a bit uneasy.

"Unfortunately, you're one of the things we're looking for..."

The young nun understood, and with her right hand she lifted the [Oath of Judas] stuck in the marble floor, a slight sigh escaping her lips.

"So you were after me? Fine, give me your names. After I take you all out, I'll pray to the Lord more often..."

The tall, slender man in the silver mask bowed gracefully, his deep eyes seemingly smiling.

"Snakes emerge from the shadows, head and tail intertwined, forming a closed loop that reconstructs the world. So, you may call me... [Gray Serpent]..."

Chapter 374, Section 392: Lord Otto's Pot

The secret headquarters of [Anti-Entropy] in Yellowstone Region, USA.

Tesla, carrying a plate of baked cookies, swaggered into the medical room and woke up the Lord Alliance Leader was reading "A Global History" on the bed.

"Hey, little Welt, try my new cookies, strawberry flavor!"

Welt tucked the bookmark into the crevice, then nodded his thanks and carefully ate a few bites of a pink-filled cookie.

The baking temperature and firmness were excellent this time, but the strawberry jam tasted a bit strange, as if something else had been added to it.

"Here's your medicine for today, you idiot! It took me ages to come up with this idea, and I even learned how to bake cookies from Einstein..."

Tesla proudly raised his chin, revealing his adorable canine teeth. With his hands on his hips and chest out, his red twin ponytails swayed slightly, and his ears stood up to the side, giving him a perfectly executed "Praise me" expression.

"Thank you for your trouble, Tesla..."

"What are you saying! Taking care of you is my duty. If it weren't for you on the Siberian snowfield, I would have been captured and imprisoned by that despicable clown..."

Having received the praise he wanted, Tesla, all smiles, skillfully patted Welt on the shoulder. Although his words were tinged with fear, the gesture of his left arm crossing his chest was somewhat comical and endearing.

"I'm sorry, I've let you down..."

"Even though it's been compatible with the Herrscher of Reason Core for so many years, it still can't achieve the ideal level of development..."

"As a result, in the Siberia battle, I not only lost to the Second Herrscher, Sirin, but I also couldn't fight against that person who appeared out of nowhere, dragging you all into danger. I've truly disgraced my teacher..."

"Next time, if Sirin comes again, I will stop her even if it costs me my life!"

Welt couldn't help but sigh. As the Second Herrscher, he was, after all, just an ordinary person who had come to the field halfway through his career. His achievements were limited, and it was difficult for him to perfectly exert the power of the Herrscher of Reason.

"What are you thinking about!"

Tesla, looking utterly disappointed, gave Welt a sharp rap on the head, making his canine teeth gleam.

"You have to make sure you stay alive no matter what, understand? Why do you have to be like that idiot from before, with a mind full of martyrdom thoughts!"

"We raised you not to be cannon fodder, but to ensure your survival!"

Welt smiled faintly, clearly not taking it to heart.

That's how the real world is; someone always has to be the first to sacrifice. I hope my choice can change that stubborn old man's mind and bring back the alliance between [Schicksal] and [Anti-Entropy].

For some reason, he had a terrible premonition that the Siberia War would be the best opportunity for both sides to nip the crisis in the bud.

Sirin's second arrival will be flawless and will mark the Finality of human history!

We must unite, no matter what!

Tesla wanted to offer a few more words of advice, but Einstein, dressed in a white coat with long, messy blue hair, pushed a cart into the treatment room.

"Routine Honkai energy erosion level check, do you want to observe?"

"Also, don't feed him random things; it will affect the accuracy of the data and also hinder recovery..."

Einstein's indifferent whispers echoed in the ears of the girl with red pigtails, causing Tesla, filled with resentment, to glare fiercely at his old rival before storming out of the room.

"Bang!"

Ugh! Damn it! I forgot this is a transparent glass door, the kind that closes automatically...

Tesla crouched on the ground, clutching his aching nose, tears streaming down his face. He felt utterly hopeless. "You've all bullied me, even the door..."

At this moment, Einstein untied Welt's hospital gown and removed the bandages, revealing a shocking wound that stretched from his left shoulder to his lower right abdomen, the depths of which shimmered with a purplish-red luster.

The Joker's attack was nearly fatal, but thanks to the Herrscher of Reason Core prioritization of protecting the host's safety, Welt survived by sheer luck.

However, due to this severe injury, the rate of Honkai energy erosion has increased dramatically, and his current physical condition makes it difficult for him to sustain another full-power output.

Even if he forced himself to go to the battlefield, death was almost certainly the outcome he would face.

"Focus on recovering. [Anti-Entropy] will remain dormant for now. Don't even think about reconciling with [Schicksal]... it's unnecessary..."

As Einstein rewrapped the bandages on Welt, he took a deep breath and frowned slightly.

Both Tesla, crouching in the corner, and Welt, who picked up a book again from his bed, were somewhat surprised.

"I saw the general features of the clown on the Siberian Plain, and he felt very familiar to me."

"Although it was a clever trick, there were only so many people who could defeat both you and Sirin; it's hard for another one to suddenly appear out of thin air..."

"Therefore, there's a high chance the Joker is someone we know well..."

"Furthermore, back when [Anti-Entropy] was still the North American Branch of [Schicksal], there were some rumors circulating among the higher-ups..."

"The answer is already obvious. Among the heirs of the three great families of Schicksal, Siegfried is one of us, Cecilia is being delayed, Theresa is trapped, and only that mysterious archbishop is the most suspicious."

Tesla suddenly realized what was happening and jumped up, half angry and half happy.

"I knew that old geezer was no good!"

"Anyway, even if the sky falls, there's always someone like [Schicksal] to hold it up. We can just relax and be the ones who catch the falling birds!"

"Little Welt, I'm telling you, don't be foolish and try to stand up for others!"

Einstein had long suspected the Lord Bishop; the North American Branch had once attempted to convert Honkai energy into civilian use based on the Dead Sea Scrolls.

However, the experiment failed because the formulas on the Dead Sea Scrolls were altered by an unknown person. Schrödinger, who belonged to the scientific community at the time, was Honkai by the Honkai, resulting in his body half-Honkai beast transformation. Edison was suspected of becoming a law-like being. In the end, in order to prevent the Honkai outbreak, they sacrificed themselves by pushing a Honkai energy ball with a yield of 10,000 tons away from the city.

Thus, after gaining the support of the previous Herrscher of Reason, the North American Branch completely broke with the Schicksal Headquarters.

He's a madman who'll use any means necessary to achieve his goals. Who else could have transformed into a "clown" and ambushed the Alliance Leader of Anti-Entropy?

Just as the three were engaging in a vague cross-server exchange, an emergency message pop-up appeared on Einstein's wristwatch.

The message contained only a single, concise line, and even contained a spelling error in the middle letter, clearly indicating a very critical situation.

"Otto secretly assembles the Snow Wolf Squad for a personal expedition! Target: Yellowstone Region!"

At this point, the signal abruptly cut off, and the atmosphere inside the sanatorium froze.

Meanwhile, in the captain's cabin of a newly completed Schicksal Floating Battleship, Bishop Otto gently swirled the red wine in his glass.

So you were the spy for the Snow Wolf Squad— "Genius" Patrick. But without that message, I really wouldn't have been able to confirm the exact location of [Anti-Entropy] headquarters, or Welt's whereabouts.

So, I'll let you continue in this game, only as the prey...

P. S.: Thank you to Yakumo Yukari for the 6 razor blades urging me to update and to Heaven's Scar for the 1 razor blade urging me to update.

Chapter 375, Section 393: The Third Party Who Intervenes

In a mountain valley in the Yellowstone Region, Patrick, bound to Golden Cross, looked ashen-faced.

She secretly hoped that her old friend from [Anti-Entropy] would not act rashly after receiving news of her arrest and would come to keep their appointment.

However, amidst the rustling of fallen leaves, a figure with a gray scarf around his neck smiled gently and prepared to reach out and break the chains binding Patrick.

This Lord Alliance Leader is too soft-hearted; he doesn't have the decisive and ruthless demeanor of someone in power at all...

Patrick sighed helplessly, but his eyes revealed deep gratitude. After all, no one wants to be abandoned, and she hadn't lived enough.

At this moment, an elegant figure emerged from the distorted air, looking down at the young man for a moment with a hint of disappointment in his eyes.

"You arrived earlier than I expected... As the successor of the Herrscher of Reason, you've been too reckless... Acting too emotionally will only cloud your rational judgment..."

"I thought you'd be hiding in the captain's cabin, directly ordering the Floating Battleship above to unleash a concentrated barrage of fire..."

Welt buried himself in analyzing the structure of the chains, his tone as calm and gentle as ever.

"I've always been forgiving of pen pals; I should at least see you off on your final journey..."

Otto drank the red wine, unconcerned.

Sending the [Schicksal] Floating Battleship to North America was already somewhat taboo; if they were to launch a large-scale bombardment, it would inevitably draw the neutral S.H.I.E.L.D.. into the conflict.

Moreover, once Welt is eliminated, he can easily regain control of [Anti-Entropy] if he's willing to spend some time, without leaving behind a mess.

After all, his plan to revive Kallen still required [Anti-Entropy] technology as a reference in some aspects.

Pen pal? That letter! It really was you!

Welt immediately realized who had led him to the Siberian Plain. It turned out that this Lord Bishop had no intention of cooperating at all and had long planned to eliminate him!

Therefore, he and Otto are destined to be unable to coexist today...

Although Welt was gentle, he was raised to be the Alliance Leader of Anti-Entropy, so he naturally had the courage to make decisive decisions. He then summoned his ninth Key of God, "Star of Eden," which could manipulate gravity.

Star of Eden - Ten Thousand Times Gravity!

In an instant, the light distorted, the sky darkened, and all the rocks and trees within a ten-meter radius were crushed into dust. Even Otto, who was standing in the center, was not spared and was trapped in the sinking cone-shaped pit.

The surrounding space was compressed to its limit, yet a membrane still separated it, preventing Otto from being harmed.

"Those who engage in infighting before battle, who only eliminate dissidents and are selfish and self-serving, kneel down before me!"

Welt clenched his right fist, veins bulging on his forehead, and roared as he floated in the air.

The last layer of light membrane shattered suddenly, and Otto's figure, like a reflection in water or a flower in a mirror, broke into countless pieces that drifted away at will.

However, the "fragments" seemed to defy gravity, drifting to Welt's side and reforming one by one.