Honkai, Traversing Otto, Path to Godhood

"Those are Schicksal's spoils of war, not compensation from you World Serpents—and now, you still intend to steal them to satisfy your strange sense of superiority, hiding behind the scenes, looking down on humanity, and viewing theft as a means of maintaining the historical progress of mankind, aren't you?"

"..."

The man tilted his head, looking at Gray Serpent, who seemed to have frozen like a crashed system, and raised an eyebrow.

This is how riddlers operate; as long as they grasp the information the other party prides themselves on, they gain the initiative in conversation. Their thought process is disrupted by the "breaking of the riddle."

At this point, the other party can only gradually fall into a passive state, being completely suppressed psychologically.

A mere Gray Serpent, at best, can only rely on the lingering power of the Previous Civilization to bully young girls like Insect Larva, who are barely teenagers.

When it comes down to it, your dad is still your dad.

That's right, green-haired snakey, I'm taking advantage of you.

"...Bishop Otto, the Serpent was indeed impolite first,"

Gray Serpent took a long time to find his voice, "But in fact, the technical principles of the Staff of the Underworld involve the imaginary space..."

"You don't need to tell me; the level of technology has a positive correlation with the scale of Honkai to a certain extent," Otto interrupted him. "You believe its existence is too far ahead of its time, forcing you to intervene and forcibly reclaim it?"

"I find people like you truly amusing," he said in a teasing tone. "You need the Staff of the Underworld for your Stigmata Project, yet you pretend to be righteous and concerned for humanity, acting out of self-interest while trying to cloak yourselves in a sacred veil for all mankind."

"???!!!... How much do you know about our plan?!"

Shock could be heard in Gray Serpent's synthesized mechanical voice.

Otto curled his lips. "That's not something you need to know."

Gray Serpent: ...

Why did that sentence sound so familiar?

"...Fine."

He pondered for a moment, then looked at the two supreme combat powers of Schicksal before him. He suddenly sighed and replied, "I hope Mr. Otto will take good care of the Divine Keys and the Staff of the Underworld."

"Oh?" Otto raised an eyebrow. "Is this... the Serpent backing down?"

"There's an old saying in Shenzhou: 'He who understands the times is a wise man'," Gray Serpent admitted frankly. "The Serpent, at present, does not possess the capability to confront Schicksal head-on; and I, at present, do not have the ability to retrieve the materials from the two of you."

"It's good that you know."

Otto replied with a smile and waved his hand. The sound of machinery shifting echoed in the room.

It was only then that Gray Serpent noticed that in the laboratory where the World Serpent's spoils were stored, countless heavy weapons were hidden all around.

—Clearly, the other party had anticipated his arrival.

"But please, Mr. Otto, do be careful," a sense of foreboding arose in Gray Serpent's mechanical mind, yet he continued, "The technology involved with the Staff of the Underworld is extremely important. Please do not research it excessively, lest it spread too widely and be exploited by others."

Otto narrowed his eyes.

It seemed the Staff of the Underworld... still held many secrets he was unaware of.

Indeed, how could something that could turn a Herrscher into a Herrscher trial card be simple?

—Of course, it could also be Gray Serpent's deliberate misdirection. After all, repeatedly telling him not to research it excessively and then coming to remind him, was it truly because the World Serpent cared for humanity?

However, whether their intentions were malicious or sincere, he didn't care.

Since they had stepped onto his stage, what was wrong with having their own ideas?

Gray Serpent's schemes would only affect the drama, but Otto's vision extended far beyond the few acts on stage.

"Ha, I understand," the man replied with a smile. "The technology involved with the Staff of the Underworld is very tempting—I understand. Therefore, I won't research it. Rest assured, esteemed cadre of the World Serpent, who worries about the world."

He couldn't be bothered to waste time researching—the World Serpent had already done it, hadn't they? Since the World Serpent knew, what reason did Schicksal have to retrace the old path humanity had already walked?

Scientists explore everything, and those in power utilize everything, don't they?

Gray Serpent was stunned, unable to comprehend the meaning behind Otto's words once again. After another long pause, he said, "Alright, Bishop Otto, the Serpent—"

"Stay, stay," Otto interrupted Gray Serpent for what felt like the umpteenth time. "Such an anticlimactic and embarrassing retreat, how does that fit with Mr. Gray Serpent's original imposing presence? 'Not a burden Schicksal should bear,' look at how grand and magnificent that is!"

"I quite like your original tone, and besides—"

The man chuckled mysteriously, a playful glint in his eyes, "Since you're already here, aren't you going to leave something behind?"

"If you require this frail body of mine," Gray Serpent said, "I don't mind, and I can sever the connection with my main consciousness at any time."

"No, what use is this body of yours to me?" Otto glanced at the dark silhouette with disdain. "I'm talking about them—Jackal, and Raven."

"What do you intend to use to redeem your senior cadres?"

"..."

Gray Serpent fell silent once more. He felt an unprecedented sense of being crushed within these few short minutes. Everything he was proud of was laid bare before Schicksal, and everything he had schemed for was easily resolved by Otto's casual handling. Now, the other party was launching a counter-attack, demanding more benefits from the World Serpent.

He really shouldn't have come... a thought arose in Gray Serpent.

—But who could have known that after such a massive gain as the Seven Thunders of Repose, Otto would still value other spoils, even dispatching an S-rank Valkyrie to guard them?

His original plan was to sneakily retrieve the Staff of the Underworld, leaving behind a few riddles. He never expected that they would have already anticipated his arrival, understood his standing within World Serpent so clearly, and used it to counter him?

"Mr. Little Gray Serpent, so full of confidence," Otto's voice rang out, accompanied by a condescending smile. "Do you dare to say you'll abandon Jackal and Miss Raven? Do you dare to leave immediately and refuse to answer this question?"

Chapter 45: When the Great Building Collapses

"If I recall correctly, World Serpent is a religion, a faith in the god of [Savior],"

Otto strode around the room, his leisurely confidence the same as before when he faced Jackal.

"For human believers, a god is the embodiment of the will to power, the expression of human joy, the manifestation of their own hopes; it is the victory and happiness sought through the extension of life's tension; it is the belief that their lord will grant them what they desire through action."

"Mhm, that's right, the subject of everything is oneself. Even someone with a savior complex initially desires the fulfillment of their own self-worth."

"Revering gods and believing in power, in the beginning, is actually about satisfying one's own needs."

He paused and sighed, "Ah, yes, having faith means having desires. Any believer will start from their own needs and gradually 'evolve' into a piety that loses themselves."

Then, Otto's gaze turned to Gray Serpent, and he smirked, "Haha, so Mr. Gray Serpent, why don't you guess how many believers have 'evolved' within World Serpent? How many mortals are in the process of 'evolution'?"

"You've reached the pinnacle of your church's power, yet you can't even protect your own life. Mr. Gray Serpent, please, why don't you guess again, how much disrespect will those 'mortals' develop towards World Serpent because of this?"

He tilted his head slightly, looking at the shadowy figure with a hint of arrogance, "Furthermore, your salvation is not evident. I know what you do, but those passionate saviors do not. Even if they did, they might not understand. Clearly, Schicksal's salvation is more straightforward and righteous than World Serpent's."

"Your firmly held doctrines are vague and illusory, with no discernible actions. Your highest preacher is captured and disgraced, unable to receive the protection of your lord."

"—Then, will your believers continue to exist in the darkness of the world, unseen, sustained by unrealistic ideals, or will they selfishly lie in wait, exchanging this organization that cannot protect its followers and cannot achieve its goal of salvation openly, for a good price?"

"Survival or death? Faith or betrayal? Regardless, the moment you, who cannot confront Schicksal, choose to abandon your preacher, World Serpent as an organization will be riddled with holes."

Otto stopped, placing his right hand on his chest, his voice rising and falling rhythmically, as if reciting an ancient poem, "When the great building of faith collapses, oh thousand-year-old attendant of the gods, from where will you hear the prayers of [humans]?"

He paused for a moment, then added with a smile, "Of course, you could also choose to use World Serpent's advanced technology to rewrite everyone's cognition. I'm very much looking forward to you using this method to degrade my opponents from humans to puppets."

"..."

Gray Serpent took a step back. The shadowy figure's face was obscured, revealing no emotion, but a palpable sense of caution, no longer mysterious, emanated from him.

"What does Schicksal want?"

After a long silence, a synthesized voice emerged from the shadows.

"What can World Serpent give."

Otto replied without hesitation, stating it as a fact.

They stared at each other. The shadowy figure spoke intermittently, as if thinking of something then discarding it, while Otto watched Gray Serpent with a smiling, unhurried gaze.

"...The Serpent will offer a price that satisfies Schicksal."

Finally, Gray Serpent, as if unable to bear Otto's scrutiny, uttered a hasty remark and fled the room as if escaping.

Otto did not stop him. He watched the rapidly moving shadow, his eyes gleaming faintly, "Satisfy Schicksal? Satisfy me?"

His voice was very soft.

I am the most greedy person in this world...

Otto turned around. He had coincidentally arrived at the location where the Staff of the Underworld was stored.

The man put away the other two staffs and said to Cecilia, who remained in a combat stance, "Relax, Cecilia—Gray Serpent won't humiliate himself again."

"Mhm—," Cecilia retracted her movements and stood properly, holding the Black Abyss White Flower with both hands. "I think so too, Bishop."

"Eh?" Otto frowned. "Did I aggravate your wound?"

"Mhm... It's actually okay," the woman shook her head. "My wound has basically healed, it's just... I'm still a bit unstable on my feet."

"Then lean on me," Otto stepped forward, allowing Cecilia to grip his arm. "We can't have our Schicksal Saintess walking from London to headquarters leaning on the Black Abyss White Flower."

A scent like lilies wafted from her side. Compared to her previous innocent naivety, the Cecilia who had recovered her memories now possessed a mature charm, like aged wine sealed away, inviting one to savor its deep fragrance.

Otto's nostrils twitched, and he squinted contentedly. Of course, he could construct a wheelchair, but—yes, he was also drained. Divine Keys were not omnipotent.

"Thank you, Bishop."

Cecilia didn't think much of it. More than ten years ago, after playing too wildly, Otto had also supported her like this when she was mentally exhausted, until their distance gradually grew.

Of course, her respect and adoration for him had never changed. That was why, in the end, even as his Honkai energy fission bomb was about to take her life, her emotions were merely resignation, a bitter smile of acceptance, with no trace of resentment towards him.

—And now, all that resignation had transformed into reverence and surprise. Brother Bishop was still special to her. Even though she had acted willfully against his wishes, this Bishop had not treated her as a useless pawn like he had others.

She knew his methods, and because of that, she was overjoyed by this unfathomable favoritism.

Cecilia withdrew the Black Abyss White Flower and stumbled slightly, clutching Otto's arm. She hadn't intended to rely on him too much, but when Otto tilted his head and let out a questioning "Mhm," she smiled sheepishly and placed her other snow-white arm around him as well.

The two walked slowly down the corridor, Otto slowing his pace to make it easier for Cecilia.

"Where else were you planning to go have fun? I took a whole month off from Amber before."

"No need, Bishop," Cecilia stuck out her tongue. "Four years of traveling is more than enough for me."

"Oh? Little one," Otto reached out his other hand and skillfully tapped Cecilia's forehead. "Starting to tease me already?"

"Cecilia wouldn't dare," the woman smiled, her eyes sparkling.

"It's just as I told you when you lost your memory," Otto said. "You've already walked the path you were meant to. Where you go now is your freedom."

"Freedom..."

Cecilia's eyes grew distant for a moment, then she seemed to recall something, and her gaze became tinged with sadness.

But she didn't want to burden the person beside her, so she changed the subject:

"By the way, Bishop, why explain things so clearly to that intruder?"

Chapter 46: Otto Is Never Upfront

"Do you think it would have been better to trick Gray Serpent into abandoning Jackal and Raven, and then have them act according to my instructions?"

Otto's pupils dilated slightly, as if suddenly remembering something. He turned to look at Cecilia.

"Wait, don't talk about anything else first—Kallen above, did I corrupt Schicksal's Saintess?"

The woman lowered her head, rolling her eyes up to look at Otto. Her lips curved into a slight smile, and her face, a blend of elegance and allure, gained a touch of girlish playfulness.

"Brother, whatever you think is how it is."

A sense of comfortable familiarity bloomed in her heart.

In the past, during their travels, she had been this free and lively in front of Otto.