Where had this increase in intelligence come from? It was just... that she was stupid.
Well, no matter what, Dr. MEI of the Previous Civilization had invented this kind of artificial intelligence to serve humanity. If she had made it too smart, Void Archives, backed by supercomputing power, would have left all humanity helpless.
The man sighed and closed his eyes.
—But she did not have to be stupid to this extent, did she? Wasn't that little outburst just now practically telling Otto that she was no different from the Third Divine Key? If he found a way to deal with Seven Thunders of Repose, he could deal with her completely.
Were self-destructing leaks this sincere these days?
He understood, but he was shocked.
Back to the point, he would keep Seven Thunders of Repose for now and train it properly. It could serve as one of his contingencies.
Otto had plenty of weapons at this level, so naturally, he would not become overly reliant on it, much less find himself needing it at a critical moment.
—As for handing it over for research? How could that be possible? Chariot of a Thousand Worlds had someone inside it. How could an ownerless Divine Key not be kept firmly in his own hands?
He had not forgotten his original intention—to ensure that he could survive safely in the Honkai world.
To guarantee that, he needed to quickly build his own defenses externally, ensuring that the strongest Valkyries could be completely commanded by him and remain utterly loyal. Internally, he had to become strong himself, so he naturally welcomed all manner of divine weapons.
If the Key of Blank carrying the Flame-Melt core did not cost lives to use, he would not have minded modifying it a little and carrying it close at hand—come to think of it, that was Dr. MEI's original armor, wasn't it?
That would be even more exciting.
"I'll have to try it later and see whether a Soul Steel body is compatible with the Key of Blank," Otto decided inwardly. "If it works, it'll be like having a Herrscher clone..."
When the time came, he would definitely stand in front of Kevin and tell him that this was what MEI had taken off—getting beaten up? Heh, could Kevin even capture his consciousness?
"Sending functional Divine Keys out for research—that's already impossible. The Gem of Serenity also needs to be taken back from those people and turned into a second Black Abyss Hundred Flowers..."
As Otto continued arranging the weapons Schicksal could use independently in his mind, he pressed the communicator.
"Lord Bishop, your milk tea."
Not long after, Rita emerged from behind him, placed the cup on the table, and stood attentively at his side.
"The World Serpent base at the London branch—how much have you taken in?" Otto inserted the straw into the cup and asked casually.
"It is still being calculated for the time being," Rita answered. "At present—Schicksal has acquired all of their information regarding Artificial Honkai Beasts."
"Artificial Honkai Beasts?" Otto pondered. "Mm... Durandal is taking the S-rank Valkyrie exam?"
Rita was startled at first, and only after a moment did she catch up to the man's abrupt train of thought. "Yes, Lord Bishop."
"If I remember correctly, among the World Serpent Honkai Beasts we acquired, there was a whole group of cats." As Otto spoke, he pressed the end of his straw against a tapioca pearl. "Pick a cat for Little Goose first."
"Little Goose?" Rita did not react right away.
"Little Durandal," the man explained. "After all, in front of her mother, I can't exactly keep calling her Durandal, can I?"
"Durandal" was a nickname many Schicksal Valkyries privately used for Durandal. It came from the dodo bird, and in the West, elders only gave children such nicknames when they thought the child was a little silly.
Of course, that was not the real reason—mainly because Kiana and the little bug had grown used to calling her that, and changing her nickname would feel strange.
Gray Serpent, You Really Came
"...Understood, Lord Bishop."
Rita paused, then her delicate brows curved with a smile.
She liked any form of address for Lady Durandal. Her smile... merely came from the meaning behind this change in nickname.
Lord Bishop seemed to value Lady Durandal more now.
And it was not the look one gave an experiment, nor the appreciation reserved for the strong. Rita could hear it: Otto's words contained not the slightest trace of self-interest, only the concern an elder would have for a junior.
Compared to Lady Theresa, this concern now seemed even greater.
It was as though Lord Bishop truly regarded Lady Durandal as his student now.
Perhaps... this was the influence Lady Cecilia had brought to Lord Bishop.
Rita unconsciously arrived at that conclusion.
She had never expected that the Saintess of the past held such an important place in Lord Bishop's heart.
She could not help recalling what Amber had once told her, of Lord Bishop taking the Saintess on trips every year.
Perhaps... Lord Bishop truly had once regarded Cecilia as family.
And now, with her mother returned and the Bishop gradually becoming as loving as a teacher, Lady Durandal had effectively gained two elders—elders incomparably powerful enough to shield her from wind and rain.
Rita was sincerely happy for her slightly foolish best friend.
Little Goose... really was a lovely nickname.
"Choose one with high intelligence." Otto could sense the joy filling the person beside him. The corners of his lips rose slightly as his eyes narrowed. "One that knows how to please its owner, one that would obediently follow even if Little Goose treated it like a dog and made it run after a thrown collar. Also, it should live a little longer—at least ten years or so. Little Goose mustn't have to worry about its health and safety."
"As you command."
Rita's voice sounded much more cheerful.
"Fine then—was an Artificial Honkai Beast our only gain? Was there anything else?"
"The only thing we have fully absorbed is that, Lord Bishop," Rita answered. "In addition—Schicksal discovered three staffs in the World Serpent base. The researchers are currently studying their function with all their strength."
Oh?
Otto was a little surprised.
World Serpent's staffs...
"Staff of the Underworld?"
"The information Schicksal intercepted from World Serpent gives the staff exactly that name—but the files contain no specific instructions for using the Staff of the Underworld."
Rita raised both hands. A golden staff was quantum-transferred onto the fingertips of her black lace gloves.
"That is quite a substantial gain."
Otto was somewhat astonished.
If he remembered correctly, aside from the grand Stigmata Project, the only World Serpent development worth mentioning was this "Staff of the Underworld."
According to Jackal in the story, the Staff of the Underworld, also known as the Imaginary Interferometer, could greatly disrupt the connection between a Herrscher core and Imaginary Space. It could distort the "channel" between them for a short period, causing the Honkai Energy inside the Herrscher's body to fall into chaos.
World Serpent only had eight such weapons in total.
"By Kallen... little one, Heaven really isn't leaving you a way out."
Otto could not help muttering, though no one knew the meaning behind his words.
He gripped the golden staff. The tips of his fingers took on the same color as the First Divine Key, Void Archives, activated and swiftly analyzed its structure.
"Excellent." Soon, the man withdrew his power, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes. "Staff of the Underworld—I like that name."
He put away the Staff of the Underworld and ordered the brown-haired woman, "Rita, go to the laboratory and halt all research on it in my name."
For Schicksal, which had yet to produce fourth-generation Godslayer armor, this weapon was still somewhat ahead of its time.
They did possess the basic materials to create it, but Otto did not want anyone other than himself to grasp its core method of manufacture.
The fewer people who knew a method of cutting off a Herrscher's escape route, the better.
There would be no shortage of Herrschers within Schicksal in the future.
"If Herrschers could be sealed so casually, it would be better to use Stigmata warriors and Fusion Warriors..."
The man's fingertips tapped against the table. His next words were slightly louder, allowing the person beside him to hear them:
"Good, Rita. Once you obtain the Staff of the Underworld, hand it over to Amber for safekeeping immediately—tch."
He suddenly stopped and rose to his feet.
"—No need."
Golden light flashed, and Otto vanished from the room, leaving behind only a new command:
"Cancel my previous order. Now, prepare my return trip at once."
Clang!
Cecilia's lance flew out and struck a mass of shadow.
"You finally showed yourself." The silver-haired woman took a step back and looked at the being struck by Black Abyss Hundred Flowers without a single trace of blood appearing. "The Bishop calculated long ago that you would come and ordered me to wait here."
"Oh?" The shadow produced a sinister synthetic voice. "Is that so? He made you continue fighting before you have even recovered?"
"Trying to sow discord is useless." Cecilia remained unmoved. "It is a Valkyrie's duty, sir."
"Ha, of course I know—how persuasive the word Schariac is to Otto." There seemed to be a trace of helplessness in the shadow's voice. "Heh, Otto. Schariac. Schariac." Her tone seemed to carry an added hint of helplessness.
"I don't understand what you're saying." The silver-haired woman shook her head and spun her lance. "But now—you will not take anything from here."
"Sigh." The shadow let out a long sigh. "For the moment, I do not wish to clash with Schicksal either, but forgive me—the Staff of the Underworld and Seven Thunders of Repose are not burdens Schicksal should bear."
"Oh, is that so?"
A voice different from either of the two facing off rang out. Then Otto appeared before Cecilia.
"Schicksal cannot bear the result of defeating World Serpent?"
"Bishop."
A flicker of delight passed through the silver-haired woman's eyes. She silently stepped forward, intending to stand in front of the man—only for Otto to stop her.
"He poses no threat."
Cecilia nodded, but still moved a little closer to her Bishop so she could bend her knees, raise one leg, and leap into the position where she belonged at any moment.
Otto turned back and gave the woman a smile, then looked toward the shadow. His pupils gleamed.
"The Staff of the Underworld... I had just planned to use it to make an idle move on the board, but I never expected the chess piece to deliver itself to my door."
"I do not feel humiliated by being treated as a chess piece by you, Mr. Otto." The shadow's mechanical synthetic voice carried a trace of solemnity. "In fact, the Serpent regards you with importance second only to our Sovereign."
"Yes, importance." Otto sneered. "Important enough that the moment you discover traces of me outside headquarters, you immediately attempt an interception and assassination; important enough to use the Third Divine Key, which disintegrates all things, for a sniper attack. Is that right?"
"Importance does not equal respect," the shadow replied. "Your existence is the greatest hidden danger to the Sovereign's final plan."
"..."
Why were World Serpent and relics of the Previous Civilization all so skilled at self-destructing spoilers?!
Otto rubbed his forehead. Of course, self-destructing leaks were a good thing, but could they at least be like Void Archives and reveal something he did not already know?!
"Fine." He shook his head helplessly. "Sometimes, knowing too much makes all those cryptic people feel like walking self-destruct devices."
"World Serpent senior executive, follower of the Flame-Chasers, Mr. Gray Serpent. This is our first meeting, yet I have long heard of you."
This Is Not Something You Need to Know
"...?"
The shadow did not reveal itself, but it visibly froze.
How did he know... him?!
"You think World Serpent is very secretive, don't you?" Otto's eyes smiled, and a hint of amusement entered his words. "You think you hide in darkness and command the truth?"
"Creation of little MEBIUS, don't think that living a few thousand extra years gives you the right to act mysterious before me. The pride you gained by hiding in gutters and smearing yourself in filth is a joke in my eyes."
The man clasped his hands behind his back and looked at the shadow as though completely defenseless.
Without anyone noticing, light and darkness had already switched places in the two sides' psychological perception.
"...Worthy of being Schicksal's Bishop. You understand us to such an extent already."
Gray Serpent's presence was clearly suppressed by a level, and even his words carried a trace of uncertainty.
"But the Serpent has no intention of becoming enemies with Schicksal."
"Heh."
Otto gave a cold laugh.
"Artificial Honkai Beast hordes, Armed Puppets, Divine Keys, Emperor-class Honkai Beasts—is that what you call having no intention of becoming enemies with Schicksal?"
"The Serpent also paid the corresponding price..."
Before you continue