Chapter 312

The star fell incredibly fast. Before Otto could even feel fear, it was already in front of him. However, the scene Otto imagined—being crushed to death by the star—did not occur. Instead, it landed directly in front of Otto, floating in the air, clearly not intending to harm him.

Otto instinctively picked up the star, and then saw it light up in front of him. Countless words and symbols floated around it in the light, instantly attracting Otto's attention.

Even with his current level of knowledge, he can only understand a portion of it, which gives you an idea of how profound the knowledge contained within is.

A moment later, Otto came to his senses and looked up at the starry sky again, but his gaze was completely different this time.

If Otto had looked bewildered when he first entered, now his eyes were filled with excitement.

At this moment, he finally fully understood what Ai Yue meant.

If a single star contains such profound knowledge, then wouldn't this entire sea of stars be able to contain all the truths of the world?

Do you like it?

Accompanied by a familiar voice, Ai Yue appeared beside Otto. The boy, holding the star in his hands, nodded vigorously. "I love it! Thank you, teacher!"

Knowledge is power—this was what Ai Yue taught him, and it was a belief Otto firmly held. And what kind of power would he possess if he were to fully master such a vast ocean of knowledge?

By then, we should be able to banish the Honkai from this world!

Chapter Eighteen: Is your plague guaranteed to be ripe?

Three years later, on a certain day.

Otto suddenly opened his eyes and stood up from his chair.

He was in a white room where everything was arranged neatly. In front of him was a large table filled with all kinds of glassware, most of which contained liquids of different colors. In addition, some of them contained things that looked like organs.

Three years ago, after applying to the Bishop of Schicksal, Otto was granted his own laboratory.

Located on the outskirts of Klostens, it is more like a comprehensive experimental center than a laboratory, encompassing all disciplines of human scientific exploration of the world, from Tianwen to geography, from biology to chemistry. The room in front of you is just a part of it.

However, this was the laboratory where Otto had spent the most time recently.

Otto reached for a glass vessel on the table, and his right hand emerged from his sleeve, revealing a glove that reflected a metallic sheen in the light. His gaze lingered on the gray crystals embedded in the glove for a moment, then he seemed momentarily lost in thought.

That was a reward Ai Yue gave him three years ago, and it was on that day that he finally learned about the Honkai and part of the truth about this world.

What he learned that night still deeply shocks Otto even today.

No, I don't have time to think about these things right now.

After a brief lapse in concentration, Otto refocused and began working at the lab bench.

If he could, he wouldn't want to be this busy, but time waits for no one these days.

Thinking of this, Otto glanced again at the sign hanging by the door, on which a conspicuous number was written in bright red ink: 27084.

About twenty days ago, a strange illness suddenly occurred in the port city of Sicily Island. Within just 24 hours, the patient went from having stiff legs to becoming completely rigid, like a statue. Not only was the patient unable to move, but even the originally soft flesh and blood tissue became as stiff as stone.

But that's not the scariest part. The scariest part is that this disease is contagious.

Although the Schicksal immediately sealed off the entire city upon receiving the news, it was clearly impossible to control such a plague entirely by manpower. Even some of the Schicksal's knights unfortunately contracted the disease and became part of the statue.

Fortunately, it was soon discovered that some people seemed to be immune to the plague, and with the Kaslana family taking over the lockdown, the situation was eventually brought under control within the city.

But everyone knows that lockdowns cannot solve the plague. In this era of underdeveloped medical conditions, the simplest and most thorough way is to completely eradicate this strange plague at the cost of an entire city.

However, this plan was not approved, mainly because of Otto —who pledged everything he had to guarantee to the entire Schicksal leadership that he could find a cure for the plague within a month, thus temporarily saving the lives of everyone in the city.

However, twenty days passed, and Otto still hadn't found a solution. Meanwhile, more than half of the city's residents had been infected, and the red number at the laboratory entrance represented the approximate number of patients.

The only success was the confirmation that these patients had not actually died—this strange plague, while hardening their bodies like stone, had also "locked in" their life force, and if they could be cured, they could survive.

Based on this characteristic, Otto eventually named the plague "Petrification Disease".

Otto, are you alright?

Just as Otto was conducting his experiment, there was a knock on the door, followed by Kallen's voice. "May I come in?"

Otto paused for a moment before saying, "Come in."

It was only then that he realized his voice was terribly hoarse, almost reminiscent of parched, cracked earth.

The next second, the girl in the white Schicksal uniform pushed open the door and came out. She immediately locked her gaze on Otto, then was startled. "Otto, what happened... You haven't been resting these past few days, have you?"

Otto saw his reflection in the glassware at that moment. His hair was messy and greasy, his eyes were bloodshot, his face was pale, and his beard was unkempt. He looked exhausted, as if he might collapse to the ground at any moment.

"I'm alright." Otto took out a potion that emitted a faint white glow from his pocket and skillfully injected it into his body. His complexion quickly returned to normal. "Saving lives is the priority. There's no time to rest now... How's the situation over there?"

Kallen didn't speak, but sighed. She turned around, erased the red numbers, and wrote a new one: 28113.

Now, Kallen has officially become the Valkyrie of Schicksal. As the strongest of the younger generation of the Kaslana family, she will inevitably be involved in this mission. In addition, given her relationship with Otto, Kallen is responsible for the transmission of information and supplies here.

"More than a thousand more."

Otto sighed, saying nothing more; clearly, all of this was within his expectations.

"At least, at least the growth rate is slower than before, right?" Kallen forced a smile. "That means our measures are working!"

"The slowdown in growth is mainly because there are fewer and fewer uninfected people in the city. As the density decreases, a slowdown in growth is inevitable," Otto said subconsciously. Then, noticing that Kallen's expression had become somewhat stiff, he immediately reassured her, "However, your lockdown and supplies are definitely effective; there's no doubt about that."

"No need to comfort me," Kallen shook her head slightly, her smile returning. "It's alright, they're just temporarily petrified. As long as they can be healed, they'll recover, right?"

"Hmm," Otto nodded, turning his gaze back to the lab table, "As long as it succeeds..."

"Oh dear, I was so busy chatting I forgot." Kallen then realized what she'd done and brought in another box from outside. "These are the materials you needed, I brought them all. The rest..."

She placed the box on the lab table, then rolled up her sleeves, revealing her slender, fair arms. "I'll trouble you to get it yourself."

Otto glanced at Kallen's arm, then opened the box to check it over. After confirming that everything was alright, he took out the blood-drawing equipment and approached Kallen: "I'm sorry, Kallen."

"Why do you always have to apologize?" Kallen frowned, somewhat annoyed. "Didn't I tell you, we're on the same side? This is what I should do."

Compared to the exceptionally intelligent Otto, Kallen is clearly not good at scientific research. Not to mention collaborating with Otto, she would struggle even to fulfill the duties of an assistant. But even so, there is something she can do to help – the bloodline flowing through the Kaslana family.

When this civilization was just beginning, a group of people gained special powers that allowed them to protect people and help them explore the wilderness during the most vulnerable early stages of the civilization.

This power was diluted and weakened as humanity multiplied and proliferated, eventually becoming a kind of power hidden deep within the bloodline—but the Kaslana family was an exception.

This family has continued from the distant past to the present day. Logically, the power in their bloodline should have been diluted considerably, but they remain extremely powerful. Among the younger generation, the most powerful, Kallen, even exhibits a reversion to Kaslana family bloodlines.

This means that Kallen possesses power that surpasses that of her ancestors.

Otto, who was born with the blood, gazed at the blood drawn from Kallen's body. Within its crimson color, specks of white light flickered faintly, making it appear as if it were the blood of a god.

Although it wasn't the first time he had witnessed this scene, he still couldn't help but be captivated by it.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if more people could benefit from such amazing power?

Take, for example, that city that suffered from "Petrification Disease." If everyone in the city could wield such power—no, even if it were weakened tenfold—the situation wouldn't be like this now, right?

When Kallen's blood had filled halfway up the glass container, Otto stopped drawing blood, but it was Kallen who stopped him at this point. "Isn't this too little? Is it really enough?"

As Kallen spoke, she flexed her arm in a gesture of flexing her muscles. "Don't worry about me, I'm very strong, I don't mind having a little more blood drawn!"

She had some basic medical knowledge and knew that drawing too much blood was bad for one's health, so she always felt that Otto was worried about that.

"That's enough, really." Otto carefully sealed the container, saying, "I still lack the means to properly store blood; even if I draw too much, it will eventually become inactive."

"I see." Kallen lowered her sleeves, looked at Otto's face, and suddenly whispered, "I'm sorry, Otto."

Otto, who hadn't expected Kallen to say something like that, paused for a moment before asking, "Why are you suddenly bringing this up?"

"We promised each other we'd protect this world together, right?" Kallen scratched her head. "But this time, I can't do anything. I can only leave you to bear this burden alone..."

Kallen knew perfectly well what Otto had used to save the lives of the people in this city for thirty days.

In other words, if Otto's experiment failed, he would essentially be handing over the bishop's robes he already wore to someone else—something that had nothing to do with him, and no one could blame him even if Otto did nothing.

Such an action is practically like deliberately jumping into a quagmire, the kind that's notoriously difficult to climb out of.

Even though Kallen had been running around all this time, she often heard people laughing at Otto behind his back, waiting for him to reap what he sowed.

This made Kallen very upset.

She once thought that as long as she was strong enough, she could protect everyone and let everyone live a happy and prosperous life. But this time she realized that not all enemies could be defeated by fists.

"Don't worry, Kallen." Otto, seeing Kallen's disappointed expression, naturally understood what she was thinking and couldn't help but laugh. "Do I look like an idiot?"

"Of course you're not," Kallen shook her head first, then looked somewhat reproachful. "But the way you're looking at me right now is like you're saying I'm an idiot."

"It's just because you're mistaken." Otto shook his head slightly. He was silent for a moment, but finally decided to speak. "Kallen, I must admit that taking on this responsibility wasn't entirely for the sake of the city's residents. I also had my own selfish motives."

Kallen blinked. "Selfish motives?"

"It's strange, isn't it? How could anyone willingly take on such a mess, a disaster for anyone who gets involved, just for their own selfish desires?" Otto chuckled. "But what if I told you that, in my eyes, it's actually a very high-probability endeavor?"

"Completing something that everyone thinks is impossible will naturally bring me many rewards."

Kallen looked thoughtful, then tentatively asked, "Would it make everyone think you're amazing?"

As someone Kaslana is extremely inept at everything outside of combat, Kallen clearly didn't understand Otto's implied meaning.

"Yes, ultimately, it's all about making others think I'm amazing." Otto laughed, he really liked this about Kallen. "Simply put, in a while I'll be an adult, and when I do, I'll take over my father's responsibilities and become the Bishop of Schicksal."

"I know," Kallen nodded solemnly, "That's why..."

It is precisely because everyone has already assumed that Otto will be the next Bishop of Schicksal that his current behavior seems incomprehensible.

"However, I have always lived in Klostens and have hardly been involved in any of Schicksal's affairs," Otto continued, "Which means that it would be difficult for me to gain the respect of the people if I took office. It's like letting an ordinary person command you in battle; you would find it hard to trust him to follow his orders, right?"

"That seems to make sense," Kallen nodded, finally understanding. "So, you want to use this to gain everyone's trust?"

"Yes," Otto smiled at first, then looked somewhat helpless, "Although things are unlikely to go that smoothly, at least with this achievement in hand, even if people have doubts, they won't show them openly."

"It's alright, Otto. It's normal to have selfish motives. I also hope that everyone will thank me a bit more when I save people!" Kallen comforted him at this moment. "Besides, Dad said that the Kaslana family will support you!"

Otto couldn't help but reveal a somewhat subtle expression at this moment—in fact, the Kaslana family had been supporting him for three years, but he couldn't figure out what he had done to make these righteous battle fanatics admire him so much.

Perhaps the teacher or the senior students did something?

The chat eventually came to an end, as Kallen herself had a mission to complete and couldn't stay long, so soon Otto was alone in the laboratory again.

However, before leaving, Kallen seemed to be thinking about something mysterious, saying that she would come back and give herself a surprise. I wonder what it will be.

Otto shook his head slightly, clearing his mind of distractions, and resumed his experiment.

Chapter Nineteen: Oh no, he's finally living a good life!

As Kallen walked out of the experimental center, she couldn't help but look back.

This house, located in the suburbs, doesn't look much different from an ordinary detached house from the outside. It's three stories high, with each floor having an area of over 200 square meters, plus a small yard. If it weren't for the sign at the entrance, people would probably guess that this is the mysterious experimental center.

But Kallen knew that the building was not as simple as it seemed—because its main structure was actually underground.

"I want an undisturbed research environment," was the wish Otto made to Nicholas on his fifteenth birthday. Nicholas agreed without hesitation on the spot, but the building was not finally handed over to Otto until his sixteenth birthday.

The project, which took a year to build and was designed and supervised by Otto himself, involved many changes in workers. Its complete structure is probably only known to Otto. Even Kallen had to familiarize herself with it many times under his guidance to avoid getting lost on the first underground level.

People jokingly call this place "Otto's private kingdom," believing that he is preparing for his future as Bishop of Schicksal here. However, Kallen, Otto's best friend, does not think so.

Because three years ago, after that battle with the Honkai Beast, Otto seemed to have become a different person.

He became more confident and cheerful, and gradually became familiar with more people, but when he was alone, he became more silent and melancholy than before.

Although Otto's coming-of-age ceremony is still some time away, it seems as if he had already become an adult three years ago.

After the experimental center was completed, Otto rarely left. He began to immerse himself in the complex and profound knowledge day and night. Those things were like Heavenly Book. Kallen would feel drowsy after just one glance, but Otto could study them all day long without sleep.

Kallen found it difficult to describe her feelings, but she always felt that Otto's frantic acquisition of knowledge was not entirely of his own volition, but rather as if he was driven by something and had no choice but to do so.

But even if I knew, what could I do?

Kallen looked away and couldn't help but sigh again.

If Mr. Ai Yue were still alive at this moment, wouldn't things be much simpler? Perhaps that gentleman could have resolved this disaster with just a wave of his hand.

But let alone her, even Otto probably hasn't seen Mr. Ai Yue for a long time—starting three years ago, he would often disappear for a period of time, only returning occasionally to stay for a few days, just to prove his existence.

Thankfully, Professor Ai Yue was there.

Otto, who was busy in the laboratory, finally got a chance to rest during the reaction time of the reagents. Looking at the bottles and jars in front of him, a thought suddenly popped into his mind.

In the entire Schicksal —no, in all of Europe—perhaps only Otto knew the truth about this "Petrification Disease."

What appears to be a terrifying "Petrification Disease" to outsiders is actually the result of Professor Ai Yue using unimaginable methods to weaken it countless times.

The original name of this plague was "Black Death"—this calamity, which seemed to have no Honkai Beast involved, was actually influenced by Honkai Energy.

Recalling the horrific scene that had swept across Europe through Ai Yue's methods, leaving corpses strewn everywhere, Otto still couldn't help but feel his heart race.

What's so special about the Petrification Disease that infected 30,000 people in just over 20 days? If it were the Black Death, that same amount of time would have been more than enough for it to multiply the number of infections tenfold!

Most importantly, Petrification Disease only temporarily stiffens the body of the infected person and does not actually endanger their life. As long as an antidote can be developed, even if the patient's petrification state has lasted for a long time, their life can still be saved.

However, the Black Death was a deadly plague; once infected, those who became seriously ill would die within just a few days.