"What's this...?"
Gwen bent down and picked up the box. It felt ice-cold in his hands. He set it on the cabinet, blew away the dust, and only then discovered that its lock had already been violently pried open.
After waiting a moment without receiving any response from Kevin, Gwen chose to open the box before him.
Meanwhile, in the Sea of Quantum, Kevin saw the pried-open box. Frost had already begun to seep from his body, his gaze sharp as a blade...
The box opened, and a biting chill rushed at Gwen. Even with his physical constitution, his face stung, and he instinctively took several steps back.
Fortunately, the fire coursing through Gwen's body instantly melted away the chill that had invaded him.
Having almost immediately concluded that this thing was connected to Kevin, Gwen saw that Kevin still had not spoken and simply stepped up to the box again, looking inside.
Through the dense cold mist, Gwen saw what had been preserved within the box. They were... four Crystal Flowers?
Four Crystal Flowers—blue, pink, gold, and gray—were arranged neatly inside a box clearly made specifically to store them.
The terrifying chill Gwen had felt earlier had come from the already shattered blue Crystal Flower.
"..."
Gwen fell silent as he looked at the four Crystal Flowers, which felt strangely familiar--
He could roughly guess what they were, but he would rather not have known--Kevin was watching from the Sea of Quantum.
In silence, Gwen closed the box, intending to pretend he had no idea what it was.
But just as Gwen was about to act as though nothing had happened, Kevin's voice suddenly came--
"Keep them safe..."
Elysia's Farewell Gift
"..."
Hearing Kevin's words, Gwen's hand paused as he was about to close the box. After a moment of silence, he finally fastened it shut and replied softly in his mind,
"Okay."
Though he was utterly helpless over having accidentally stepped on a landmine, now that things had come this far, Gwen had no thoughts of regretting wandering around here. He could only console himself--
At least the person who pried open the box had not damaged the four Crystal Flowers inside.
Judging by Kevin's reaction, Gwen could basically confirm that the four Crystal Flowers in the box were Elysia's final gifts--
After announcing the existence of the "Thirteenth Herrscher," Elysia had given gifts she had prepared to the four people attending the final banquet she had arranged for herself. Those gifts were the four Crystal Flowers in this box.
In the Elysian Realm storyline of the game, these four Crystal Flowers had also carried their owners' memories of Elysia, laying the foundation for Elysia's resurrection and the eventual defeat of the Erosion Herrscher, who had been practically invincible in the data world.
But in reality, these four Crystal Flowers might have merely been exquisite creations constructed from Honkai Energy. Kevin had kept them, and after he accidentally fell into the Sea of Quantum, they had remained with the Caslana family rather than being collected by World Serpent.
As he pondered why the four Crystal Flowers had appeared here, Gwen closed the box without pretending ignorance and asking Kevin what they were.
It was as though Gwen had simply regarded them as something Kevin had left behind, treating Kevin's earlier emotional shift as displeasure and anger over something he had left behind being violently damaged, and thus did not wish to provoke Kevin further...
Setting aside the fact that Gwen knew certain events from the Previous Civilization and had more guesses about the four Crystal Flowers, this was not even an act, much less deception.
Deep within the Sea of Quantum, Kevin watched the reclosed box through Gwen's eyes. The emotions that had briefly stirred within him had already calmed once more--
Over the past fifty thousand years, Kevin had replayed those dozen-odd years of experiences again and again, witnessing each tragedy time after time. World Bubbles had even formed within the Sea of Quantum because of it.
Though Kevin still remembered every event and every person, still clearly recalled his own reactions and emotions, and had never changed,
Kevin, who now bore an even greater ambition, had to force himself to remain calm and no longer be moved by them.
Had this box, so meaningful to him, not been forcibly pried open, Kevin would not even have shown any emotional fluctuation.
Unaware of Kevin's current feelings, Gwen carefully carried the box containing the four Crystal Flowers, which could be called Elysia's relics. He slung the Key of Domination from the cabinet onto his back and left the hidden vault, which had brought him more fright than surprise.
After leaving the hidden vault, Gwen did not linger long at the estate and quickly returned to Destiny Headquarters--
Compared to the estate that was being transferred into his name, the small house on the floating island felt more like home to Gwen.
Moreover, having obtained this Key of Domination, which Otto had most likely deliberately left there, Gwen, still a pillar of Destiny, needed to report to Otto, the Archbishop, and ask for the Tai Xu Sword Qi Otto had most likely already prepared for him.
And in truth, Otto was already working toward that--
"Very well, old friend, I need your help..."
Looking at the A-rank Valkyrie in the communication feed—a gray-haired, blue-eyed woman with delicate features, a calm expression, and an utterly unremarkable appearance—Otto rarely adopted an equal stance when speaking to someone.
At this time, the only person Otto could possibly treat this way was Fu Hua, who was currently "attending school" at St. Freya Academy in the Far East Branch.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Fu Hua, unmoved by Otto's solicitous concern, interrupted his endless chatter and got straight to the point--
Given Fu Hua's understanding of Otto, the fact that he was rambling about so much useless nonsense instead of directly giving orders clearly meant he had ulterior motives.
And Otto, fully aware that Fu Hua knew exactly what sort of person he was, did not waste any further words. As Fu Hua had said, he stated his purpose--
"I need the complete Tai Xu Sword Qi. If possible, I hope you can personally teach a child."
Five hundred years ago, after reaching an agreement with Otto, Fu Hua had given him Divine Melody, the foundation of the Tai Xu Sword Qi, at his request.
After Otto's research, simplification, and improvements, he had incorporated it into Valkyrie training.
However, because Otto knew that Tai Xu Sword Qi placed extremely demanding requirements on its practitioners and was best taught one-on-one by an expert, he had never requested the full version in the past, nor had Fu Hua offered it herself.
Although, in Otto's plans for the future, that Key of Domination was not important.
Even if Gwen could not activate it, Destiny's current technology had already reached the point where it could develop a weapon capable of replacing the Key of Domination.
Still, if possible, Otto hoped Gwen could activate the Key of Domination and learn a few things from his old friend.
As for which goal Otto wanted to accomplish more... perhaps only Otto himself knew.
"You should know that I have no interest in taking disciples.
"As for teaching, I cannot guarantee that the child you mentioned will be able to learn it."
Faced with Otto's request, Fu Hua, who was normally steady and unflinching even if Mount Tai collapsed before her, frowned and gently shook her head.
Though many of her memories had become blurred, certain resistance deeply rooted in the depths of her memories still made Fu Hua instinctively reject the idea.
However, Fu Hua did not refuse outright, leaving room for compromise.
"Of course. I know Tai Xu Sword Qi is not something just anyone can learn.
"As long as you are willing to teach him, old friend, that is enough. Whether he can learn it is his problem."
Otto was not surprised by this. He nodded with a smile, then seemingly casually added,
"Oh, right. Destiny previously discovered several Keys of Domination in a Flame-Chasing Moth base. One of them should have already reached that child's hands."
"Keys of Domination?"
Fu Hua raised an eyebrow at that, but did not ask where Otto had acquired the Key of Domination--
Since those things had fallen into Otto's hands, how he distributed them was his business, not hers.
"But if I am to teach the child you mentioned, what will happen to my undercover mission at the Far East Branch?
"Current technology cannot remotely teach Tai Xu Sword Qi."
Suppressing the ominous feeling rising in her heart, Fu Hua looked at Otto's smiling face on the communicator and asked in a low voice.
"That is simple. I will give each branch a few temporary training slots at headquarters. You can obtain one and come over."
Tesla: It Must Be Otto's Conspiracy!
Otto's answer perfectly embodied the willfulness of authority, but Fu Hua merely nodded lightly without comment.
Otto's little bit of willfulness remained within reasonable bounds, and the Far East Branch now... perhaps truly needed some changes.
Though Fu Hua also liked St. Freya's relaxed atmosphere, having come from the Previous Civilization, she knew time was running out. If they wanted to survive the unending Great Honkai Eruptions of the future, these girls needed more training and strengthening...
However, though she did not oppose Otto's decision, Fu Hua still reminded him,
"Martial training is not something that can be accomplished overnight. Tai Xu Sword Qi especially cannot be mastered in one stroke; it requires years of cultivation.
"With only the duration of temporary training, I fear he can at most complete the introductory training."
"Ha... you need not worry about that, old friend."
Otto smiled with a hint of pride.
"That child already has A-rank strength, and his aptitude is quite good. He will not take up too much of your time."
"He already has A-rank strength?"
Fu Hua raised an eyebrow, suddenly recalling something, and asked,
"You mean that child you have been loudly promoting across the intranet lately?"
Fu Hua's personality made it easy for others to regard her as an antique, but that did not mean she truly was some old fossil living in the past. She was highly proficient with the internet and even played online games...
Therefore, Fu Hua naturally knew of Gwen, who had been heavily promoted earlier.
"I believe I told you that Tai Xu Sword Qi is best cultivated from childhood. Once one grows up and their thoughts become too cluttered, it becomes difficult to form a Sword Heart.
"Still, considering the Caslana bloodline within him, learning enough to control the Key of Domination should be sufficient..."
Knowing Otto's nature all too well, Fu Hua figured the rumors regarding Gwen's Caslana bloodline were probably true and included that in her calculations--
If he was a Caslana, then judging by the rate of advancement reported in the news, his talent should not be poor. Even without the bodily transformation brought by a Sword Heart, his Honkai Energy resistance and adaptability should be adequate. Cultivating Intent Resonance and circulating Honkai Energy would not harm him...
In the span of a few thoughts, Fu Hua had already put aside her concerns.
"It seems you have already thought it through, old friend. Then I shall not disturb your student life any longer. We will meet at headquarters."
Knowing that Fu Hua had accepted the task, Otto ended the communication with a smile, then immediately assigned Amber the task of distributing temporary training slots to the branches.
At the same time, while Gwen was still on his way back to headquarters, his point balance quietly increased by an amount he did not notice.
And this was not the first such increase...
After returning to headquarters, Gwen reported his experiences and gains from leaving headquarters to Otto. He learned the identity of the Key of Domination from Otto, then applied for a course on using Divine Keys.
Otto, who had just persuaded his old friend into becoming a tutor, naturally had no objections. He merely told Gwen that it would take some time for the teacher to be in place.
Gwen naturally had no objections to that.
Afterward, Gwen, who had effectively become the new head of the Caslana family, returned to the life he knew well: training and cultivating every day, occasionally taking missions, and competing with You Lan Dai Er for the title of Destiny's hardest worker.
However, although Gwen had not interacted with the Caslana family members again after getting along with them so well that day, he had still left a deep impression on them, and they could not help mentioning him from time to time.
As a result, though no one loudly publicized the news, Anti-Entropy intelligence personnel, who paid close attention to Destiny's affairs, still learned of it and eagerly reported it upward.
"Huh?
"The Caslana family may have a new head, and his identity is... a survivor of a Honkai eruption?"
Tesla, who saw the report during her free time, widened her eyes in surprise.
But after only a brief moment of thought, the super-grade lobster doctor, with flame-red hair tied into twin tails, frowned.
"No, this has to be Otto's conspiracy!"
Though Tesla was not good at power struggles or schemes, having suffered enough losses had given her a certain instinct for conspiracies. She looked up at the petite blue-haired woman calmly drinking coffee across the table.
"Chicken Nest, you didn't send this information to Siegfried, did you?"
"I have already forwarded it to Mr. Siegfried."
The petite woman Tesla called "Chicken Nest"—whose true identity was the Great Scientist famed throughout human history, Liesel Albert Einstein—gently set down her coffee cup and raised her eyes toward her anxious friend.
"Do not worry, Dr. Tesla. I noted in the message that this is very likely Otto's conspiracy.
"And judging by Mr. Siegfried's reaction, he does not seem to be as impulsive as you imagine."
"Huh?"
Tesla cried out in surprise once again.
This time, however, Einstein did not explain further. She merely scooped a spoonful of sugar from the sugar bowl beside her into her coffee, watching her friend's expression from the corner of her eye with faint amusement.
In her dull life, teasing Tesla had become one of Einstein's few pleasures.
Meanwhile, in a cramped room somewhere in the Far East, a scruffy middle-aged man with an unshaven beard, disheveled hair, and the smell of alcohol about him—looking every bit like an unemployed drifter—looked at the message on his phone and tipped back half a bottle of beer.
Before you continue