Honkai, Traversing Otto, Path to Godhood

"This is the king's triumphant return! Rejoice! The Messenger of God has descended upon this land, and history has turned a new page!"

The crowd remained silent, merely looking at Cleo with suspicion. But soon, their doubt turned to belief. Everyone bowed down in unison, their eyes filled with eagerness and longing.

"Is that so..."

"Yes, gods do answer people. The scriptures are right..."

"But Schicksal said..."

"Are you foolish? Schicksal is also a god, no matter how history insults them!"

"God, God..."

"Are you the messenger?"

"You are the Messenger of God!"

Cleo, seeing their perfectly synchronized actions, was so startled her mask was slightly askew.

The believers gradually raised their heads, and then, inexplicably, smiles flickered across their lips.

They chanted words, their voices growing louder and louder until the prayers devolved into a single word, dozens of mouths reciting the same name:

"Jackal!"

"Jackal!"

"Jackal!"

Amidst these abrupt yet devout voices, Jackal Cleo's eyes shifted from panic to confusion, and finally, a murderous intent flared. She took a step back and shouted at the boy:

"Enough, Otto Apocalypse!"

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Who Gave You The Courage?!

"I'm right here,"

Otto's voice came from behind her.

"I'm watching the show, Miss Cleo, or rather, Jackal."

Jackal turned around to find Otto standing behind her, a smug smile on his face.

"So, you've been playing us..."

Jackal muttered, "No wonder so many people showed up. I really thought that Raven's rhetoric was that strong."

"Pfft!"

Cecilia couldn't help but let out a laugh. Jackal glared at the woman furiously, but Cecilia glared back without backing down.

"A mere clone of a dead person..."

Before Jackal could finish her sentence, Otto raised his hand. A golden light flashed, and if she hadn't dodged in time, her chest would have been pierced.

"A warning," the man said, his expression unchanged but his voice indifferent, "Don't push your luck."

This is...?

This was the first time Cecilia had seen Otto so "angry" since she awoke. His gaze was fierce, yet it made her heart swell with sweetness.

Who didn't like such blatant favoritism?

Jackal gasped for air, feeling the fear of near-death for the first time in years.

I was careless... to actually come out in person with my true body...

Damn it, if Gray Serpent hadn't withheld the technology, how could I have risked myself... If the World Serpent's resources weren't limited, how could I not have developed a Soul Steel body – at least, that's what I thought...

But why could I dodge just now?

Why was I still alive under Otto's sudden attack?

If only my speed was a little faster, I could have—

Hmph, it seems the so-called Schicksal Bishop is nothing more than this.

"But you still came, Otto," Jackal put on a victorious air, though her clothes were still dusted, "I knew you wouldn't pass up information about the Previous Civilization."

"Heh." Otto didn't deny it.

"This is your failure, Otto," Jackal became increasingly delighted, as if forgetting her earlier embarrassment, "I've used your ideas to trap you here. Soon, you'll be my defeated foe!"

"If you hadn't chosen your words so poorly a few seconds ago, I would have happily played along and agreed with you,"

The man sighed and shook his head.

"Unfortunately, you just overstepped."

He stared at Jackal with a chilling gaze, causing her to unconsciously tremble.

"Cleo, World Serpent scientist and high-ranking executive, codenamed [Jackal]," Otto continued, "She has been long engaged in research on the structure of Honkai Beasts and Moiras, and has created a large number of synthetic Honkai Beasts."

Jackal's heart tightened, and she looked at Otto in disbelief.

How... how could he know so much?

"How is that possible???!!!"

"You want to ask how I know this?"

Otto saw through Jackal's thoughts and voiced them for her before answering himself, "Is it difficult for Otto Apocalypse to find out what he wants to know?"

—This was certainly not the reason, but he didn't mind shaping the image of a powerful Otto in his enemies' eyes, starting from the details.

Besides, to some extent, he was indeed "omniscient and omnipotent" in this world, wasn't he?

"Heh," Jackal finally found her voice, speaking with difficulty, "Otto... I acknowledge the honor of your position as Schicksal's Bishop..."

"A self-righteous clown," Otto interrupted her unceremoniously, "unworthy of acknowledging my glory."

Cecilia chuckled softly upon hearing Otto's sarcasm.

Jackal faltered again, but this time, her eyes were no longer fearful but filled with rage.

"You call me self-righteous?" Jackal's voice was sharp, "Aren't you just as self-important, Otto Apocalypse?"

"Self-important?" Otto acted as if he'd heard a joke, "Your words are like a clown questioning passersby—why are you so arrogant, not watching my performance? Are you arrogant?"

He looked at Jackal and continued with feigned distress, "Oh dear, I accidentally let slip my assessment of you, but—indeed, one needs to have substance to make evaluations, and you... are you qualified?"

The full-power onslaught made Jackal tremble all over, her teeth grinding audibly, her mask vibrating as if it might fall off at any moment.

"You... I... you this..."

"Tsk tsk," Otto shook his head regretfully, "World Serpent's executive, is this your cultivation? Is this your temperament? Incited to anger by a few words? No way, no way, is World Serpent really full of unstable executives like you?"

He glanced around the Thames River, then, as if remembering something, asked, "Furthermore, are you sure you've completed your preparations? If you still want to double-check, I don't mind playing along for a while longer—after all, I want to keep watching the show—Huh? Where did that little boy go?"

He scratched his head, "That kid has quite the silver tongue. With a little nurturing, he could be better than you."

"Ot-to, you, this..."

Jackal gritted her teeth, spitting out each word, her eyes red.

When had she ever endured such an insult?!

"Are we really going to tear down the facade?" Otto continued as if chatting, "You don't get a second chance—you can curse me countless times, but I only need one to deal with you seriously."

The masked woman stood there, her chest heaving, no longer speaking, as if trying to calm herself.

"Heh heh... heh heh,"

But before long, Jackal began to laugh, her laughter filled with endless rage.

"That's true,"

She grinned, her mouth stretching wider and wider, "Why should I explain myself to the current you? Haha, hahahaha!"

The woman's hoarse, rough laughter echoed by the riverbank, abrupt and eerie.

"Yes, yes, you think there's no need to explain yourself to a dead man,"

Amidst the eerie laughter, Otto's clear voice responded, "You preach to me, plaster flyers all over the city—isn't all this for now?"

He paused for a moment, then let out a sneer, "But I'm quite happy that someone can treat themselves as a clown and then invite me to play a round of Werewolf."

"I'm genuinely happy that someone would extend such an invitation to me—after all, I'm getting old, and I always like to play some young people's games to prove I'm still young at heart."

Otto raised his hand, and a black and white lance appeared.

"So,"

The lance fell into Cecilia's hand, "Jackal—or rather, Cleo,"

A golden film condensed around the two of them, "Since you believe you are fully prepared...

Various firearms took shape, "And have saved your trump cards..."

Armor materialized and locked onto him and Cecilia, "Then let me see..."

The man looked at Jackal, his smile wide, but a green light flashed in his eyes, "What gave you the courage to perform your own suicide in front of me?!"

Chapter Twenty-Nine: You Shall Be My Black Abyss White Flower

"BOOM!!!"

Artillery fire suddenly erupted from the river, a violent tremor spreading from all directions as the surroundings began to shake intensely.

"Fzzt—!"

Jackal suddenly pulled out a grenade and threw it at the ground. As the smoke dispersed, she vanished.

Otto saw the woman in the smoke flash a sinister smile.

"Brother!"

Cecilia suddenly stood in front of him.

"They're coming!"

"I know,"

Otto replied, then quietly watched the rolling dust clouds in the distance.

One, two, three... countless Honkai Beasts charged from afar, causing the ground to tremble violently.

A beast dozens of meters tall stood before the meter-tall Otto, its immense presence seeming like it could crush him. Its red visual centers were dense, like flickering starlight in the silent night.

These were artificial Honkai Beasts, World Serpent's strongest existing combat force.

Individually, they might not be too strong, but with modifications from the Previous Civilization's technology and massive investment, they could even force some of Schicksal's powerful Valkyries to avoid their direct assault.

In the game, these artificial Honkai Beasts seemed insignificant under Kevin's might, but before the era when Herrschers ran rampant and S-ranks were a dime a dozen, such a swarm of Honkai Beasts could cause immense trouble for any Schicksal squad.