This was a dim, lightless world.
Apokronia was bound by countless dark purple threads, and her shattered body was slowly being repaired within their entanglement.
"What a sorry sight, Apokronia." Midrash emerged from the shadows. "I recall you being quite confident before setting out that you could claim the first kill."
"Hmph, Midrash, you don't think that kind of provocation will work on me, do you? If Qianjie hadn't suddenly appeared, Sakura and Pardofelis would both have died by my hand." Apokronia spoke expressionlessly. "But you—didn't you say over a decade ago that you would kill Hua? Why is she still alive? Did the operation at the Tai Xu Sword Sect succeed?"
"Then I can only regretfully inform you that I failed as well." Midrash shrugged. "Hua used Feather Dust's first rated power. With a single strike, she shattered the killing formation Sumei and the others had prepared for more than ten years. And I'd even manipulated things behind the scenes."
"Feather Dust's first rated power? Then she can't use it many more times." Apokronia said, "Speaking of which, Midrash, as the original 'us,' do you really intend to remain trapped in that puppet body forever? Why not become an Imaginary Divine Core like us?"
"Because there's no need." Midrash glanced at Apokronia. "Besides, if you want to walk among humanity, using bodies like yours would probably get you noticed the moment you appeared."
"And just how many of your schemes have succeeded?" Apokronia asked mockingly. "You said you had driven the Flame-Chasers apart, but Qianjie suddenly appeared this time. How do you explain that?"
Just as Midrash was about to speak, another figure emerged from the shadows. Her voice was as young and clear as a little girl's. "Aponia has joined forces with Vill-V and Griseo too, Midrash. It seems your plan has failed."
"At least Elysia and Kevin haven't appeared, have they?" Midrash spread her hands. "Come to think of it, wasn't Shinjikou supposed to be attacking Europe with Wudigo? If Wudigo and Shinjikou fought together, there was no way those three, plus Schicksal, could defeat them. Where is Shinjikou?"
Apokronia and Wudigo both fell silent.
Seeing that neither of them answered, Midrash looked up. "Naphtali, where did Shinjikou go?"
Had anyone been present, they would have been shocked to discover that all the threads binding Apokronia and repairing her body originated from a massive female puppet seated upon a throne.
Naphtali lowered her head and spoke without emotion. "He is already dead."
"Huh? Who could have taken Shinjikou out?" Midrash frowned. "He had six Imaginary Cores. Unless all six were destroyed, he couldn't be killed, could he? Besides, neither Vill-V nor Aponia could possibly have done it. Don't tell me Kevin emerged from the Sea of Quanta and hit him with a Heavenfire?"
Apokronia and Wudigo both looked at Naphtali in astonishment.
At that moment, another teasing voice rang out, and a phantom-like figure appeared. "Hey, hey, hey, who said Shinjikou was dead? I recovered one of his six cores."
"Genius, what happened?" Midrash asked.
"Good thing I wasn't an Imaginary Divine Core, so Elysia didn't notice me." Genius took out a crimson core. "What happened was probably that Apokronia and Wudigo thought your plan was dragging on too long, so they sent Shinjikou straight to trouble Elysia. In the end, the Divine Key left behind by that traitor scattered Shinjikou with a single blow."
"Is the Thirteenth God's Divine Key really that absurd? Elysia only has one-third of it, too!" Apokronia could not help saying.
"I'm very sorry, but it really is that absurd." Genius's phantom-like body shrugged. "I truly have to thank myself for disguising myself as a harmless little lizard and observing from the shadows. If Elysia had noticed me, I might not even have made it back here."
Midrash narrowed her eyes as she examined Genius. This was the newest proliferation body of the Twelfth Herrscher. Unlike the other Imaginary Divine Cores, Genius possessed the properties of a quantum shadow.
"Then, Apokronia, I believe Wudigo is an honest child. So how much responsibility do you think you should bear for all this?" Midrash smiled as she stepped before Apokronia. At the same time, she suddenly thrust her hand into Apokronia's body and seized her Imaginary Core.
"Midrash, you..." Apokronia's eyes widened.
"Don't you think it was because of you that this operation ended in total collapse?" Midrash said with a smile. "Then shouldn't you pay a price?"
Apokronia looked toward Genius and Wudigo. Neither showed any intention of helping her, and there was even less hope with Naphtali. As their strongest fighting force, Naphtali obeyed only Midrash's orders.
Suddenly, Midrash's expression shifted slightly. She withdrew her hand and said coldly, "Consider this a lesson for now, Apokronia. If you dare do this again, I'll crush your core!"
Apokronia lowered her head without speaking.
"What do we do next? We suffered heavy losses this time." Genius said. "If we still want to wipe out those Flame-Chasers completely, we can only take a gamble and deploy Naphtali, right?"
"If we do that, we'll have no way back." Wudigo said with a frown. "But we've already been exposed. If we keep hiding and humanity continues developing like this, sooner or later we'll be wiped out anyway."
"I still have a contingency plan." Midrash said calmly.
"Oh? As expected of the original 'us.' You really are dependable!" Genius clapped theatrically. "So, Midrash, what contingency plan have you been keeping from us?"
"Didn't you also hide from me that you sent Shinjikou to trouble Elysia?" Midrash looked coldly at Genius. "Genius, stop pretending to be innocent. Even if you didn't participate, you knew about it and failed to report it."
"Tch." Genius turned his head away. "Fine, fine. Wise Lady Midrash, please tell ignorant us what your contingency plan is."
"Naphtali, bring her out." Midrash raised her head and ordered Naphtali.
Naphtali raised one hand, opening a spatial rift for the Herrschers of Corrosion.
Within that rift, a green-haired girl was bound by dark purple threads and currently lay asleep.
"Mobius?!" Genius cried out in shock. "When did you..."
"I have no need to tell you everything." Midrash said coldly.
Before you continue