Chapter 98

"Okay, come to the lab when you have some free time. Tell them that my research has made a breakthrough, and that will give you a reason for your body shape to suddenly return to normal."

I do want to go back to my old self. Although Amber herself isn't particularly tall, she actually prefers a higher vantage point. Both Fu Hua and the Character Card for Grandeur Yulande provide Amber with a very satisfying perspective.

"Oh right, I also got Theresa's Character Card."

Amber said with great interest, "Why don't you just give back the position of Bishop of Schicksal?"

Black Amber didn't care about that, but not now. "We'll talk about that later. The sudden resignation of the bishop of Schicksal is big news for both the world and the Valkyrie. It's best not to do such a thing at this critical juncture. Of course, if you insist, it's not impossible."

"Then forget it..."

Amber knew she wasn't particularly perceptive about these kinds of things, and Black Amber clearly had her own plans. Even though Black Amber believed that Schicksal was hers, Amber felt it was better for an outsider like herself not to give unsolicited advice.

She's not the kind of spendthrift. The empire Black Amber built has already given her a lot of convenience, so there's no need to impulsively cause trouble for Black Amber.

"That's how things are for now. I'll call you if I need anything."

Black Amber brought the conversation to a close.

Then, she opened Wescott's messages, thought for a moment, dialed the number, and laughed, "The CEO of DEM, aren't you afraid I'll expose you and make you completely lose the trust of your lackeys by making such remarks?"

Finally receiving news from Black Amber, Wescott, who had already prepared his response, calmly said, "Just kidding. We're all comrades fighting against Spatial Quake together, on the same front. When facing Catastrophe, there's no such thing as following others."

That sounds pretty nice.

If there was any doubt before, now it's certain: this person definitely needs something from Schicksal, or rather... needs something from her.

His opening remarks were full of righteous indignation, and he mentioned having "no followers." Combined with the previous text messages, it was clear he was trying to test my attitude. If I echoed his words, he could then use a softer approach to beg me; if I treated him like a "follower"...

The other party could only try to appease him in a softer way, since everyone could see the current situation clearly.

However, the difference is that if he can't get what he wants, he can also reveal his attitude, confirming that "Schicksal doesn't treat others as collaborators, but only as followers," while also interpreting "Long live Schicksal's Mandate" as a test of himself.

Whether you believe it or not, people are already so terrified of Schicksal that they see threats everywhere. With Ellen easily defeated and no longer having any checks and balances, Schicksal has already risen to an unacceptable position. Many people, even those within Schicksal's own faction, are already feeling fear.

But...

Black Amber sneered.

The reason it is not allowed is simply because it is not high enough. When the world-destroying meteorite falls from the Sky Manipulation, humanity will know that only Schicksal can provide protection for this world. And when Schicksal reaches that height, no one in this world will be able to question Schicksal.

That being said, now is not the time to send down meteorites, but... this is actually a good opportunity.

After all, once the battle between Rokuya and Yulande begins, DEM and Wescott will probably go into hiding, and then there will be no clowns to perform for them.

Thinking of this, Black Amber said coldly, "Of course, after all, we are all 'humans'."

Wescott smiled too, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

As an anti-human element who hates humanity and believes in either destroying or controlling the world, Wescott was unwilling to agree to this, but on the other hand, it also put Wescott's mind at ease.

He wasn't afraid of Möbius showing emotion; if he could see Mebius's emotions, it meant the matter wasn't too serious and could be discussed. What he feared was Möbius not reacting at all, which meant either there was no point in discussing it, or he was already considering how to deal with him.

Patience! Wescott!

Taking a deep breath, Wescott's smile became much more natural, "So, I wonder if Bishop Möbius Exchange Meeting? I think we'll have a lot to talk about."

Chapter 72 The Herrscher of Reason: I'm almost becoming General of Zhu Ming.

After hanging up the call, Wescott relaxed and leaned back in his chair.

The technical Exchange Meeting between DEM and Schicksal has been scheduled. During the conversation, Möbius was much easier to talk to than expected, but this did not make Wescott laugh. Based on Wescott's understanding of that woman, this could only mean that she was playing a bigger game, and that his approach might be playing right into her hands.

But... Wescott felt he had no other way out. Falling behind one step at a time would lead to falling further behind. He didn't even know how far behind Möbius was now. If he couldn't close the gap quickly, he wouldn't even deserve to play against him.

Although we are no longer worthy of each other.

While speculating about Möbius's possible plans, Wescott was not discouraged.

After all, Möbius's attitude towards him clearly showed utter contempt, and she didn't seem to regard him as a major enemy at all. This was a perfect opportunity for him to win her over and see if he could get more out of her, even if it meant paying a price or losing face.

As Wescott pondered, time slipped by unnoticed.

Black Amber was already thinking when she first transformed from Möbius's Character Card into Shier's Character Card.

Although she has a talented and beautiful assistant, it doesn't seem to be very efficient to have only herself. This is not only because she can't do two things at the same time, but also because out of so many Character Cards, only two can be used at most at a time.

This is not good for Amber's future development.

The actions in the current world can be replicated, meaning that I can still be one step ahead of Amber next time and make advance arrangements in the next world. However, the flow rate of each world is different. This time I was able to make arrangements more than 20 years in advance, but next time it may not be so.

On the other hand, Amber drew a lot of Character Card, but since only the two of them used them, most of these Character Cards were in an empty state. Items stored in the backpack cannot appreciate in value, and if no one uses them, they are just a waste.

Furthermore, if there were pawns that could be sacrificed at will, then the situation where Amber had to face the adventure of Rokuya wouldn't have happened.

The only people who can use this are Amber, himself, the old man, and the self-proclaimed Immortal.

Manpower is something Black Amber desperately needs right now.

After much thought, Black Amber came up with two solutions.

The first is, of course, Kurumi Tokisaki's ability to summon herself from different timelines. If these versions of herself were to use the Character Card, it would undoubtedly be the optimal solution. The only uncertainty is whether these clones can successfully use the Character Card.

Furthermore... Kurumi Tokisaki's abilities can only be attempted after obtaining Mio Takamiya's power, but the Moonlight Throne's setup is still unresolved, so this matter cannot be verified immediately.

So Black Amber came up with another idea: to use Feathered Dust to separate a portion of her consciousness and then let that consciousness enter a puppet created by the Puppet Technique in the Nasuverse.

Black Amber wasn't sure which of the two methods was better or had a higher success rate, but she could try both.

Now that there was a plan, it was time to put it into practice. Adhering to the idea of not troubling Amber if possible, Black Amber directly initiated a chat with the Herrscher of Reason Amber far away on the Honkai: Star Rail.

"What's up?"

Sitting in the Medicine Storage Elixir Commission Zhuming Xianzhou Boat, Herrscher of Reason was casually popping candy into her mouth. When she saw that there was a message from "over there" and it was from "another junior disciple", she couldn't help but stroke her chin. "I thought it was an old antique. It's you who came to see me?"

"Can't I come to you?"

Black Amber raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, it's only been a short time, and you're already talking with a sarcastic tone. This is just an accident."

The Herrscher of Reason didn't pay attention to the anger in her words. After all, how could Herrscher as perceptive as her noticing that the other party was feeling frustrated by the thought of "wanting to care for one's parents but finding them gone"? After all, she had played a part in the success of her parents' birth and, in a way, was an elder.

However, this word seems a bit off?

The Herrscher of Reason, still pondering in his mind, saw the next sentence already appear.

"Of course I wouldn't come looking for you if there was nothing wrong. I'm here to see you about two things."

Black Amber was unaware of the other's thoughts, otherwise she would have been both angry and amused. "The first thing is about the puppetry techniques from Type-Moon."

"It's Type-Moon again. Okay, some of their Magecraft is indeed quite impressive. Even I need some time to fully grasp it. However, I'm not really interested in puppetry and haven't done any optimizations. You can study it yourself."

Those Herrscher of Reason follow the way freely.

As Herrscher can directly acquire technology from the Remembrance and consciousness of others, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call herself a master of all techniques. Although she says that puppetry is not something she is interested in, it doesn't mean that her skill level is low. At least the Herrscher of Reason doesn't think that her puppetry is worse than that of the failed True Magic.

Lahmu, whose learning ability is exceptionally strong, could master the material in a short time. The only difficulty was the learning cost of the materials.

However, judging from what the old man said, Lahmu was doing quite well in that world, so he probably wouldn't lack these things.

"Well, there's one more thing... we might call you in as a henchman later."

Black Amber continued.

"Ha?"

Now the Herrscher of Reason was getting restless. "Me, the henchman? What about the old fogey? Is there some kind of trouble she can't handle?"

She was surprised and somewhat reluctant. She was in the prime of her career on the Honkai: Star Rail, and who knows, she might become a General of Zhu Ming in a few decades or even a hundred years. It would be such a waste to call her back now. When she could come back next time was anyone's guess.

Moreover, the timeline for his return is uncertain. If it takes too long, not only will his position as general be unresolved, but he might also be considered to have abandoned his post or even defected.

Hearing her mention Fu Hua, Black Amber frowned slightly.

Although the two are not as stiff and cold as they were at the beginning, Black Amber is not so kind as to forgive someone who has tried to kill her countless times. The reason they haven't fallen out further is simply because they both tacitly agree not to say much in front of Amber.

In Black Amber's eyes, having Fu Hua cover for her in her plan was arguably the worst, if not the only, option.

"It's not really troublesome, it's just to prevent any accidents. Of course, the possibility of accidents is almost zero, but I'm just letting you know in advance so you can make arrangements."

Black Amber sent it.

Even without seeing the person's expression, just by hearing their tone, the Herrscher of Reason could guess what his junior disciple was thinking. He shook his head helplessly and replied, "Alright, alright. After all, you're under Immortal protection. We can't let anyone bully you. Just call me if you need anything."

"Okay, that's all. Send me the puppetry technique."

They really know how to boss people around.

The Herrscher of Reason sighed inwardly, yet couldn't help but feel it was only natural. After all, with his own abilities and knowledge, it was only natural that people would want to rely on him.

Chapter Seventy-Three: Experiment Failed.

"Why are you here again today? I remember you just destroyed a Wingmaker cruiser."

Just as Herrscher of Reason nodded, a gentle and soft voice, yet tinged with a hint of disdain and teasing, came from the doorway.

"Although the pills you made are not very useful, I am still satisfied with Immortal taste. Now that we have returned from a great victory, I'll have a couple to try."

The Herrscher of Reason got up nonchalantly and dusted off non-existent dust from his body.

"Ordinary people, even those with the constitution of Xianzhou native, cannot take this medicine so frequently. All medicines have some degree of toxicity, especially since it is a half-finished product that I failed to refine and was planning to throw away when I had the chance."

The newcomer had long, dark brown hair that gradually turned red at the ends. Her smiling face was not striking at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it was captivating and a beautiful face that one could never tire of looking at.

The red eyes scanned the pharmacy before finally landing on the Herrscher of Reason: "Luckily I arrived early, otherwise you probably would have gotten a stomachache before you were satisfied."

"Oh dear, how could I, a dignified Immortal, possibly get a stomachache from taking medicine?"

The Herrscher of Reason curled his lip in disdain. "Speaking of Danzhu, I might be busy lately and may not have a chance to come for a long time. Could you please get me some more pills to accelerate the circulation of True Qi in my body?"

"... I'll let it go this time, but next time in public, you must address me as 'Ling Sha'."

A glint flashed in Ling Sha's eyes. She didn't bring up the topic she had originally intended to discuss, but instead asked, "Is the company causing you trouble again?"

"How could that be? Ever since I taught that Diamond a lesson, the company hasn't dared to mess with me. Even the Diamond himself has to say that what happened between us was a misunderstanding."

The Herrscher of Reason scoffed, but she could also see Ling Sha's worry. "Don't worry, besides the Star God, who can cause me trouble? It's just that the place I'm going to is a bit far, and it's easy to go but hard to come back."

"It's quite far?"

This term is somewhat unfamiliar to Xianzhou native.

However, Ling Sha didn't delve into it. Instead, she tilted her head slightly and smiled again, "Let's wait until we're sure about things before we talk about them. What you should be thinking about now is how to compensate me for the pills."

"Huh? Didn't you say it was going to be thrown away?"

"Only a portion needs to be thrown away, but there is another portion that can be used directly."

——

Looking at the Puppetry Study Notes that had been sent to her, Black Amber immediately devoted all her energy to them. After having a lot of free time after crafting the Moonlight Throne, her life was once again filled with busy study and research, leaving her with almost no free time.

After all, she now not only has to act as a bodyguard for Shiori Itsuka in the morning, but also conduct research on puppetry at night.

She didn't tell Amber about it right away. After all, it was just a hypothetical experiment on her part, and it was uncertain whether she would get satisfactory results. Besides, if she told Amber that she was busy with this, she would probably worry and dissuade her from being a bodyguard in the morning.

How could Black Amber delay Amber's request because of her own thoughts?

Moreover, this kind of non-stop work with no rest doesn't make Black Amber tired at all. After all, she's not human, so she doesn't need sleep and doesn't have the habit of sleeping or resting.

After several days of intense work, Black Amber has achieved some results.

Just as the Herrscher of Reason thought, Black Amber has a great advantage in learning ability. As a life form created based on perfect humans, Black Amber is limited by the consciousness of Amber, who was born from a patient who was bedridden for many years, resulting in a lack of divergent thinking and an inability to become a sufficiently excellent innovator. However, as a learner and inheritor, she is exceptionally excellent.

In just a few days, Black Amber completed the task of 'Separate Consciousness Upload to Puppet'.

The wonder of the Type-Moon Puppet Technique exceeded Black Amber's initial expectations. Black Amber originally intended to use Feathered Dust to forcibly stuff consciousness into the container and make it function through the energy of Feathered Dust, but in reality, this container already had the function of storing consciousness and could achieve a certain degree of energy self-sufficiency.

However, although this unexpected situation gave Black Amber some convenience, the most fundamental point of Black Amber's plan was not to store consciousness, but to divide her own consciousness, which is something that only Feathered Dust can do at present.

Damn it, I'm getting more and more envious of Mio Takamiya's power. Kurumi Tokisaki's abilities are just too useful.

Black Amber's rapid progress is not only due to her learning ability, but more fundamentally because... she doesn't need to consider the strength and compatibility of the dolls at all, because that's not a problem. As long as the doll can use Character Card, it will naturally follow the strength of the Character Card, and the strength of the doll itself doesn't matter.

Looking at the doll placed before her, which was identical to herself, or rather, identical to the original Amber, Black Amber took out a feather and then stuffed it into the doll's body.

"The first phase of the experiment was a success."

The doll opened its eyes. As a part of Black Amber's past, it was naturally aware of the current situation. After propping itself up on its elbows, it looked at Black Amber and said, "Give me Shier's Character Card."

Black Amber didn't waste any words and simply tossed a card that appeared completely transparent to outsiders to the doll.

Upon seeing the card, the doll's eyebrows furrowed slightly. After actually taking the card, her furrowed brows tightened even more. After a long while, she handed the card back. "It's useless. In my opinion, the card is still blank. It seems that as a doll, even with the consciousness of 'Black Amber' recognized by the Main Control Consciousness, I can't use the Character Card."