Chapter 279
"... Let me see, uh, this propaganda feels a bit like a cult. Oh... this report is from a secret organization in Shenzhou, probably those Onmyoji. No wonder the Gray Serpent group got beaten up." Freya couldn't help but laugh.
This report is clearly the work of the Onmyoji organization in Shenzhou.
After all, there is no longer any fertile ground for cults to grow on the land of Shenzhou.
In addition, there is the issue of faith.
The so-called Onmyoji are similar to Daoist priests. In addition to worshipping the Three Pure Ones and the Daoist Ancestor, they also worship Daoist sages and virtuous men...
In Shenzhou, besides the original Daoist beliefs, modern people also have a strong belief in gods and Buddhas. However, the main issue involves incense and faith. In other words, so-called cults are just outsiders who come to steal people, territory, and even their reputation. So why would the local forces in Shenzhou give the World Serpent Organization a friendly look?
As a result, the World Serpent members who remained in Shenzhou were also expelled on the same day, leaving the Gray Serpent, who had originally wanted to recruit people from Shenzhou, with no choice but to swallow the bitter pill.
It can only be said that he failed to control his greed.
After finally managing to place a few World Serpent members in Shenzhou, and these individuals had even successfully climbed to the upper echelons, Gray Serpent, overconfident and arrogant, has now come to Shenzhou to recruit people on a large scale, almost causing the organization's hard-won prestige to collapse.
Those high-ranking officials who were also ousted turned into opponents of World Serpent.
"The World Serpent has a big problem. The return of the organization's true leader has brought too much awe to all countries. Moreover, whether it is a warrior from Previous Era or someone who has lived for at least tens of thousands of years, it is a signboard that attracts the ruling class of all countries."
Yes.
When money and power reach a certain level, most people pursue immortality.
There have been many rumors about the lifespan of the Grand Bishop of Schicksal, since Otto himself rarely appears in public. So, regarding Otto's lifespan, one theory is that all Grand Bishop are named 'Otto', and another is that Otto extends his life by constantly changing bodies...
The ruling classes of various countries cooperated with the Schicksal, coveting Schicksal technology, which naturally included life-extending technology.
In fact, Freya was able to maintain cooperation with the rulers of various countries on the international stage despite leading the Schicksal because she provided some inferior life-extending technologies that could extend the lifespan of ordinary people by more than ten years.
Allowing some old men to live for another ten years or so would allow major powers to specially order special lathes and experimental equipment for their organizations, and even purchase various living resources at the lowest possible price.
However, the Schicksal has never publicized this aspect, or rather, the fact that the Schicksal possesses life-extending technology is only known within a small circle of the ruling class.
But when the Gray Serpent shamelessly spread rumors such as "My lord has lived for tens of thousands of years...", "The lord of the World Serpent was freed from a 1,500-year imprisonment", and "My lord and that strongest Valkyrie fought to a draw and were both seriously injured", the serpent was outraged.
In fact, Kevin was at a disadvantage in the Abyssal War because of bad luck. After all, he did not expect that a little girl who was only three or four years old would dare to fight so hard from the very beginning.
Frankly, describing the strongest warrior of the Previous Era as being as powerful as a little girl in the current civilization era feels somewhat like a disgrace to the Previous Era...
But this kind of propaganda resonates more deeply with people.
On one side is the world-renowned, internationally famous Acting Grand Bishop Schicksal, who conducted a tour of the Honkai battlefields, clearing out hundreds of Honkai battlefields around the world.
On the other side is the true leader of the terrorists, who is said to have lived for 50,000 years, was supposedly trapped somewhere for 1,500 years, is said to be the strongest warrior of the Previous Era, and is said to have stopped the Herrscher of Finality's activities for 12 hours with a full-force attack...
Because it's so exaggerated, it doesn't feel real.
However, when Gray Serpent revealed that his Lord and the Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie had both suffered heavy losses, coupled with the fact that Freya was seriously injured and unconscious while receiving treatment, the news could no longer be concealed, making the story seem even more real.
The ruling classes of various countries would not underestimate each other simply because the strongest warrior of the Previous Era possessed the same combat power as a little girl in the current civilization era. After all, the ruling classes of various countries had seen Freya effortlessly crush Honkai Beast through various channels.
Being able to be treated as an equal to a little girl who is not even human has instantly increased the value of the World Serpent Organization, prompting ruling classes in various countries to increase their investments.
The reason why the World Serpent Organization has grown so rapidly is that they have capitalized on Freya's popularity.
Gray Serpent is a genius at pyramid schemes.
He is certainly very talented in this area.
In his vivid description, he claimed that the World Serpent had been suppressed by Freya because Freya feared the World Serpent's true power... and that the World Serpent's master was actually Freya's ancestor. Although much of this was true, at this point, the Gray Serpent only wanted to ride the wave of popularity.
The World Serpent became incredibly popular in a sense.
321. This guy has a really thick skin.
"The problem with the World Serpent mainly stems from the cohesion brought about by the return of the 'Lord'..."
Welt glanced at the documents on the table and continued.
"The Alliance has repeatedly suppressed World Serpent, forcing it to hide in its base in the Sahara Desert. During the joint operation by Schicksal and various countries to combat the terrorist organization World Serpent, many World Serpent members were exposed among the high-ranking officials of various countries..."
The documents on the table were compiled by Welt, who was naturally aware of the World Serpent problem.
"The fact that the other party is recruiting new members in a big way indicates that there are still many World Serpent members with more hidden identities that have not been uncovered in the previous crackdown. Perhaps these members are the core of World Serpent."
"They must be core members. Otherwise, they should also obey Gray Serpent's judgment. No, perhaps they are factions within the organization that oppose Gray Serpent. Speaking of organizations... it's inevitable to encounter conflicts between various factions. Some may dislike Gray Serpent, or there may be other reasons. In short, they did not participate in Gray Serpent's operations..."
In response to Welt's analysis, Freya added her own comments.
"When the true leader of the World Serpent returned, these cadres who were not loyal to the Gray Serpent once again gathered under the banner of the World Serpent."
"So that's how it is. No wonder the World Serpent Organization, which was practically dead, was able to pull off a miraculous comeback," Tesla exclaimed.
The Abyssal War resulted in enormous casualties on both sides.
Of course, the Alliance mainly suffered losses in weapons and mechs. Although there were casualties, the actual number of Valkyrie killed was not high. Most of the Valkyrie were injured and could not recover their combat ability in a short period of time.
Meanwhile, on the World Serpent's side, tens of thousands of members were killed in the main battle alone, the number of wounded was countless, and the number of crashed aircraft and sunk warships was even more numerous.
After the Abyssal War ended, a large number of World Serpent members defected, severely weakening the World Serpent organization.
In this situation, even if the true leader returns, it will not be able to reverse the World Serpent's disadvantage.
However, when the World Serpent Organization recovered its strength at an unexpected speed and recruited a large number of new members in several major countries, Freya and others had reason to suspect that when Gray Serpent hid in the Sahara Desert, the members it took away were just ordinary members, while the true core of the World Serpent, or the faction that opposed Gray Serpent, took the opportunity to hide.
Of course, it's also possible that the Gray Serpent deliberately diverted the attention of the Mandate of Schicksal and various countries, making them relax their guard because there were even higher-ranking members of the World Serpent lurking within their own countries.
Based on this conclusion, it can be deduced that the World Serpent members identified by various countries are likely scapegoats sent out by the truly hidden World Serpent members.
Jackal, the MVP of that "snake-slaying" operation, was clearly not qualified to know about these core members.
If we look closely at the losses in the Abyssal War, although World Serpent lost a large number of fighter jets and warships, it also lost more than 200,000 members.
However, most of these members are lower-level members who have new ideas, are no longer pure at heart, and have their own reasons for rebelling against the World Serpent.
Just as Freya had predicted, the World Serpent members on the front lines were all expendable pawns.
Even if many die, the tissue's 'core' is not actually damaged.
When Kevin Kaslana, the true leader of the World Serpent Organization, returns, the cadres and members scattered around the world begin to reunite.
"This incredible reversal is truly amazing... We fought for so long and only wiped out some peripheral members. It shouldn't be just Gray Serpent's idea." Freya began to take this matter seriously.
If Gray Serpent was merely using Freya's popularity to recruit new members, the fact that his recruitment process went so smoothly suggests that those major powers must have World Serpent members acting as spies within their ranks.
"However, with the number of peripheral members greatly reduced, the World Serpent is unable to recover its strength in a short period of time."
"Welt is right. Besides, the new members recruited by World Serpent may include spies, and the ruling classes of various countries are not fools."
Following Welt's optimistic answer, Tesla also offered a friendly supplement.
Even though the World Serpent Organization wasn't crippled by the Abyssal War, it still lost a lot of flesh and blood. Those lower-level members weren't cannon fodder or expendable pawns. If it weren't for other considerations, the Gray Serpent wouldn't have wanted to abandon them.
"Don't forget, the World Serpent lacks top-notch researchers, and the Jackal's existence is hard to replace. Even if the Gray Serpent recruits a large number of members at once, it won't be able to make the World Serpent grow into a giant overnight."
Tesla believed that Welt and Freya were both overly concerned about the World Serpent Organization.
Although the true leader of the World Serpent has returned, giving the organization a backbone, and those hidden World Serpent members will also gather, such a World Serpent does indeed have the power to surpass Schicksal and Anti-Entropy.
However, Freya's previous efforts to suppress World Serpent could not be said to have been completely ineffective.
"The World Serpent no longer have the strength to wage another war against us..."
"I see. We can use this to bring the World Serpent to the table for negotiations." Freya immediately understood Tesla's intention.
Yes, both sides have suffered heavy losses due to the Abyssal War, but the Valkyrie forces on the Alliance side have suffered relatively minor injuries, and the Valkyrie forces and regular forces in Sea Abyss City are almost unharmed.
Although the Alliance suffered significant losses in weapons and mechs, they were able to grit their teeth and fight another World Serpent. On the other hand, according to the intelligence obtained by Cocolia, Kevin had only just awakened, and those members who were preparing to gather under Kevin's command were still concealing their identities.
If another war breaks out at this time, the Alliance will certainly suffer heavy losses, but the World Serpent may be completely destroyed as a result.
When the cost of war becomes so high for both sides, avoiding war is the only option.
In other words, both sides will inevitably sit down at the table to negotiate.
This has always been Tesla's stance, and it is also the main reason why she and her friend Nancy could not understand each other.
Tesla's friend Nancy once mocked Tesla for talking about peace while constantly developing weapons. Tesla countered by asking Nancy if not developing weapons would stop others from doing so. To achieve true peace, the cost of war must be reduced to a level that neither side can afford, thus truly preventing war.
According to Tesla, if even a shred of rationality remained, war would not have been started...
Of course, this excludes madmen and the mentally ill.
Tesla's insistence is not entirely correct. War is just a means. Even if all that is left are stones and sticks, war will still break out between people for various reasons.
"Mr. Welt, try contacting the World Serpent and see if they agree to a negotiation."
Freya paused for a moment.
Although she hated the World Serpent Organization from the bottom of her heart and loathed Kevin for inciting her sister, some things cannot be decided solely by likes and dislikes. When she was unable to eliminate Kevin, it meant that she had to make compromises.
Negotiating with the World Serpent Organization is clearly the most important thing right now.
"Understood, I will try to contact the World Serpent."
Welt also knew that the World Serpent and Freya were sworn enemies, so he was the only one who could take the lead in contacting the World Serpent.
The meeting was still going on... Suddenly, Freya received news that World Serpent had sent a father and daughter to the Alliance Medical Center, and she immediately asked Rita to confirm it.
When Rita arrived at the medical center a dozen minutes later, she confirmed the identities of the father and daughter and immediately contacted Freya.
"Lord Freya, it's that father and daughter..."
"It seems the World Serpent have the same idea. Mr. Welt, go and negotiate the time and place with the World Serpent." Freya said with a displeased pout.
"Rita, I'll leave those two in your care. Also, please inform Jackal and tell her to check on Siegfried's condition."
"Freya, is that Siegfried and Kiana?" Tesla asked curiously.
Freya nodded and said, "Yes, it's the two of them. It must be goodwill conveyed by our ancestor..."
"Kevin Kaslana?"
"Yes, Kevin Kaslana, he also doesn't want internal strife... In the end, World Serpent is also fighting against the Honkai."
Freya's lips twitched slightly.
Of the three major organizations, the one that has always been on the front line against the Honkai is the Schicksal, which never intended to fight against the Honkai.
Even though the leader of Schicksal changed from Bishop Otto to her, Freya was not truly fighting against the Honkai.
She elevated the Valkyrie's status solely to gain control of the military power of Schicksal, hoping that this power would protect Kiana and Aurora.
Just as she was unable to eliminate the other party and had to compromise, the other party, because the situation was not as smooth as they had imagined, had to avoid another war.
"... That's all for today."
The thought of her older sister returning made it difficult for Freya to remain seated.
"Freya, calm down." Tesla was worried about Freya and quickly reminded her. "Perhaps Kevin Kaslana wasn't conveying this message to us. You know, the changes that happened to you during the Abyssal War also happened to Aurora and Kiana ..."
Although Tesla did not witness the changes in Kiana firsthand, according to Aurora and Freya's accounts, all three of them did undergo some kind of change at that time.
"Perhaps World Serpent releasing Kiana is a sign that... they are irreconcilably opposed to the Alliance and will definitely kill all Herrscher," Tesla said, offering his speculation.
Hearing Tesla say this, Freya had no choice but to force herself to calm down.
She nodded slightly, somewhat agreeing with Tesla's speculation.
"World Serpent is probably the most steadfast opponent of the Honkai, but we know very little about the inside story of the Stigmata Project, and we have no idea what kind of plan it is..."
Although Freya swindled a lot of scientific research technology from World Serpent by selling new antibodies, those technologies didn't seem to have much to do with the Stigmata Project led by World Serpent.
"Then, the meeting continues..."
"No need to rush, there are only two things left. First, Otto wants us to provide testers for the Second Divine Key. Second, Otto wants us to find the lost Divine Box Schicksal as soon as possible..."
Tesla brought up two unresolved issues, leaving Freya, Theresa who lived next door to Otto, and Welt, who was asking Cocolia for Gray Serpent's contact information, speechless.
"... This guy is shameless."
"Grandpa, really!"
Freya, what do you think?
Welt narrowed his eyes and asked, Freya's opinion on the two matters.
"Never mind him... Although that's what I wanted to say, his affairs have all fallen into Sister Tesla's hands, so it seems she's offered an offer that's hard to refuse."
"Miniaturization technology for Honkai Energy Reactor..." Tesla sighed.
Welt only then realized Otto's terms of exchange and couldn't help but smile wryly. "This guy actually hid something so important. No wonder Einstein always complained that Schicksal's database was missing a lot of things."
Tesla couldn't help but complain, "Just like the World Serpent, they're cunning. They cover up the most crucial things, and it doesn't matter how much of the rest is exposed."