Watching the other party return to the Medical Research Group to help the researchers organize their equipment, she finished her warm-up and began today's jog.
As usual, the Assault Team members followed behind her.
Because she had run herself unconscious several times, the Assault Team members were thoroughly terrified. They did not dare look away, afraid she would suddenly collapse again.
Honestly, she also felt rather sorry for the beautiful older sisters of the Assault Team.
But according to the standards Captain Ragnar had set, even if she could become the strongest Valkyrie, the process would take a very long time... By then, who knew what situation she, True Kiana, and K423 would be in.
With that thought, she lowered her head and kept running.
Every step she took now was a form of tempering.
People were like iron; only after countless hammerings could they reach the pinnacle.
The Medical Research Group had originally been displeased about being called here through Theresa's personal connections, but now they completely understood her concerns.
After the little girl had jogged for two hours, they could no longer maintain their calm expressions.
"Seriously...? Is this something a little girl her age can do?"
"I probably couldn't even finish one lap. This little girl is incredible."
"I heard she's the daughter of that Cecilia Schariac."
"Even so, that's still amazing. Her willpower doesn't lose to an adult's at all."
Even Joyce, who was mixed in with the Medical Research Group, was astonished by the little girl's performance.
Although Joyce had already realized while observing the training with the Medical Research Group that she was not the target he was looking for, he still could not help wanting to speak with her.
Even if she was not the target he sought, there was still something about the little girl that made him view her differently.
The Medical Research Group kept voicing their amazement.
This made K422 somewhat irritated.
If this Medical Research Group had not been called here by Aunt Theresa, she would not have wanted them staying in this training ground at all.
After finishing her two-hour jog, she stopped and accepted the towel and water handed over by several Assault Team members behind her.
"Thank you, big sisters~"
She naturally thanked the beautiful older sisters of the Assault Team.
It had to be said that the persona Bishop Otto had crafted for her was excellent. Her popularity among the Valkyries and trainees had skyrocketed.
Seeing her stop jogging, the Medical Research Group members all came over with their medical equipment.
When she saw the Medical Research Group approaching, she could not help frowning.
Because of Bishop Otto, she personally did not like people such as researchers very much.
Theresa said gently, "Kiana, get checked first. Don't leave yourself with any injuries."
She had originally thought the rumors were only seventy percent true.
But the truth was that they were completely true.
If anything, reality was even worse.
An eight-year-old girl jogging nonstop for two hours, even at a slow pace, made Theresa's heart ache the more she watched.
The sight of her swaying several times and nearly falling had made Theresa's heart leap into her throat. If Laguna had not stopped her, she would have rushed to Kiana's side long ago.
This only strengthened Theresa's resolve to help Siegfried take Kiana out of Schicksal.
Kiana could not be allowed to remain in Schicksal.
"Aunt Theresa, my training isn't over yet. Can you make them stop?"
However, surrounded by uncles, aunties, and old men scanning her with all sorts of equipment, K422 openly wore a disgusted expression.
Even with a handsome man like Joyce among the Medical Research Group, she was not happy. Instead, she felt that this Medical Research Group was just after her body as well.
"Kiana... After the Medical Research Group finishes examining you, they'll make a more suitable training plan."
Theresa had assembled this Medical Research Group through personal connections precisely because she did not trust Schicksal's medical teams and researchers.
"I won't make you stop training. I just hope you'll care more about your body..." Theresa said with a bitter smile.
When she had scrubbed Kiana's back last night, Theresa had already tried to persuade her to give up on becoming the strongest Valkyrie. But Kiana's attitude was far more stubborn than she had imagined.
Theresa knew Cecilia had not wanted her daughter to become a warrior of Schicksal.
Yet her daughter was now desperately walking this path in a way that broke Theresa's heart.
Theresa kept thinking of Cecilia.
She remembered Cecilia's wish for her daughter to live a normal life.
It was precisely because she kept thinking of Cecilia that she saw Cecilia in her dreams.
Hearing Aunt Theresa say that, she decided to take a breather.
However, things were not as simple as she had thought.
Less than thirty seconds after she accepted the Medical Research Group's examination, the Valkyries watching from outside Training Ground 11 received an order and stormed directly into the training ground.
"What's going on?"
The Assault Team captain, Laguna, frowned as she questioned the B-rank Valkyrie who had barged in.
"Sorry, Captain Laguna. These are Lord Amber's orders. We need to take away several members of the Medical Research Group."
"Lord Amber's orders?"
Laguna was confused.
The B-rank Valkyrie immediately displayed her communicator.
Amber's upper body appeared in the communicator's projection.
"Captain Laguna, please arrest these members of the Medical Research Group brought by Lady Theresa..."
As she spoke, Amber showed Laguna a list.
"They are attempting to steal Kiana's DNA profile."
"Understood!"
"These members will need to undergo another review."
"Yes!"
Captain Laguna naturally understood the severity of the matter, so she immediately walked toward the Medical Research Group.
Murata Himeko was a little bewildered.
After all, Joyce was one of those Lord Amber had ordered to undergo another review.
Theresa, meanwhile, was utterly dumbfounded.
The friends she had called in through personal connections had actually done something like this.
"Kiana, I'm sorry. I never expected this..."
She had sought them out because she did not trust Schicksal's medical staff and research institutions, yet the people she had found turned out to be the problem.
Normally, if someone truly had a problem, they would not have been able to pass the review.
Schicksal Headquarters' review process was not so easy to pass.
If there was a problem, it must have arisen after they entered Schicksal Headquarters.
But Schicksal Headquarters had its own signal-blocking field. Other than communicators developed by Schicksal, no communication device could contact the outside world.
Even for him, bypassing the signal-blocking devices at Schicksal Headquarters would require considerable effort.
So after passing the review and entering headquarters, the Medical Research Group could not contact the outside world at all.
If they could not contact the outside world, how could they suddenly change their minds after entering headquarters?
They could not even find someone to bribe them.
If the Medical Research Group had been problematic from the start, then how had they passed such strict reviews?
There was only one person in Schicksal who could make several medical researchers disregard Theresa's favor and steal Kiana's DNA.
That was right.
The medical researchers responsible for those violations had been bribed by the blond man before them—Otto Apocalypse.
And his purpose was to bring him into this review room.
"I'll comfort Theresa properly afterward. But you... it's been a long time."
Otto did not care about the mockery hidden in Joyce's words.
Even though this method would indeed deal Theresa a blow, he was not worried that she would be unable to bear it.
Just as he had said, he only needed to comfort Theresa properly afterward.
A few medical researchers who could be bribed would not affect his relationship with Theresa.
"It has been a long time," Joyce replied.
Otto stared at the familiar figure before him.
He recalled the time he had discussed heroes with the real Joyce in the bathhouse.
Back then, Otto had looked across the world, and in that entire era, only that man had been worthy of his special regard.
In his eyes... that man had not merely been the First Herrscher.
Even without being the First Herrscher, he had possessed the talent to become a great figure. With enough cultivation, he could certainly have become a qualified Bishop.
Otto had even considered grooming him as his successor.
Otto had indeed thought of dumping Schicksal onto that man, allowing himself to focus more fully on his true purpose.
The man named Welt Joyce did not possess exceptional intelligence, nor did he possess vision beyond his era. Other than his identity as the First Herrscher, he was an utterly ordinary man.
Yet that ordinary man had become acquainted with Einstein, the person with the highest recorded IQ; Tesla, the inventor with the greatest destructive power in history; Planck, the least conventional physicist of the modern era; Leanna, Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie at the time; and even Fu Hua, the immortal hermit beyond the world.
Otto had always believed that true great people were not the outstanding figures in every field, but those who could laugh and converse with such elites and bring out their greatest potential.
Until the Second Eruption broke out, Otto had always believed Welt Joyce was still alive.
But now that he was facing this man disguised as Welt Joyce, Otto truly felt somewhat regretful.
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