Chapter 345
"To get closer to our target, we must eliminate these Honkai Beasts."
"Even if we can get close to the Herrscher, we need a more comprehensive plan, otherwise she will escape again," Chen Tianwu reminded him from the side.
"The key to the plan is the Scepter of Duat."
Raven pulled a strange weapon from her luggage. "According to Jackal, it can significantly disrupt the connection between the Herrscher Core and the Imaginary Space, distorting their passage for a short period."
"It won't kill the Herrscher, but it can significantly restrict her movements."
Chen Tianwu added, "Under normal circumstances, this restraint cannot last long, but if we can inflict severe damage on the Herrscher of Ice first, weakening her power, the duration of the Scepter of Duat will be extended."
After that, things were simple.
The controlled Herrscher of Ice can have her powers sealed simply by handing her over to the Lord.
"I'm sorry, as Herrscher, you must find this very cruel," Chen Tianwu apologized, bowing his head.
The Raven scoffed, "Cruel? When did you become so kind?"
As everyone knows, in a place like the World Serpent, people who are too kind will definitely not have a good outcome.
Especially kind-hearted people who lack ability.
Chen Tianwu shook his head. "I just think that at least we have a Herrscher by our side."
"It's alright," Raiden Mei said. "If this is the only way, then I will do what I must do."
The battle plan has been finalized.
What they need to do now is rest for a while and wait for the Herrscher of Ice to appear in their sight so that Raven can inflict a heavy blow on her.
Looking at the flickering firelight, Raiden Mei couldn't help but think of many things.
"That Valkyrie, although her body has been completely corrupted, her mind is still resisting the Honkai. Neither her self-awareness nor her Herrscher consciousness can take control of her body, which is why she has become irrational."
"If she were to completely submit to the Honkai, she wouldn't do that."
"She's still fighting the Honkai?" Chen Tianwu's eyes widened.
Raven cautioned, "Speculation is good, but we can't afford to risk failure. Now is the best time to act. If there are no objections to the plan, let's set off."
The temperature is getting colder, which means the Herrscher of Ice is approaching them.
Raven lifted her cloak to conceal herself, gradually blending into the shadows of darkness. Raiden Mei protected her from a high vantage point, while Chen Tianwu had a mission to carry out alone.
On a tall building, the Raven slowly crouched down.
"7,400 yards from the target, in the garden beneath the city's central railroad tracks. The target shows no signs of movement. Mei, you should go and meet up with Owl."
Be extra careful.
Raiden Mei leaped off the high-rise building and disappeared into the spreading icy mist.
Chen Tianwu was still waiting with his eyes closed. After silently counting to ten, Mei appeared beside him.
"Raven has found the Herrscher, are you ready?"
"Um."
Chen Tianwu shook the device in his hand and stuffed it into his pocket.
The two ventured deeper into the frigid current. The closer they got to the Herrscher of Ice, the colder the temperature became. Owl's clothes were already frozen into solid blocks of ice, and even Raiden Mei, the Herrscher, felt a chill.
Raiden Mei kindly reminded him, "If you can't hold on, please go back. The cold of Herrscher is not something ordinary people can endure."
The Owl stopped and looked ahead.
Raiden Mei held out her hand. "Give me the Scepter of Duat. I'll deal with the Herrscher alone."
"I see, thank you for your concern."
Chen Tianwu smiled. It was quite rare to find teammates who cared about their companions in World Serpent.
"But I'm not as fragile as you think."
After saying that, Chen Tianwu lifted his cloak, revealing his body beneath the clothes.
Raiden Mei stared wide-eyed at Owl's armored gear. "What's this?"
"Seventy-four percent of my body's organs have been replaced with machines; clothes are just for decoration, and the cold doesn't affect me."
Chen Tianwu's body below the neck is almost entirely made of hard alloy.
Kiana: "You cunning strategist, come out and take your beating!"
Without even thinking or guessing, one can tell who did this. The World Serpent are all fanatics, and there must be quite a few weirdos among them.
But among those who are keen on conducting human experiments, Jackal are definitely the number one example.
Jackal: "You've misunderstood. I wasn't the Villain in Owl's case; on the contrary, I saved his life."
Chapter 560 Raven a Tragic Backstabbing
Raiden Mei: "So what you call saving his life is turning 74% of his body's organs into machines?"
Below the neck, it was all steel; hidden behind the cloak was a body that did not belong to humanity.
Anyone who sees it will feel a surge of sympathy, as well as a nameless anger.
Jackal: "That kid wasn't as lucky as you guys. Two years ago, he experienced a Honkai. Although he survived by sheer luck, his body was riddled with holes."
Jackal: "He doesn't possess Stigmata, so he can't resist the corruption of Honkai. Modifying his body is the only way for him to survive."
Raiden Mei: "It seems we misunderstood you this time."
Although the Valkyrie still cannot accept the idea of transforming a human body into a machine, it is indeed the only way for Chen Tianwu to survive.
Kiana: "I thought it was your World Serpent that modified it to create a high-powered robot."
Jackal: "That's one of the reasons we saved him. After all, the modification surgery also has costs. If the person we save can't serve the organization, then what's the point of saving him?"
Everything had a price tag attached in secret.
The World Serpent saved Chen Tianwu's life, so his life belongs to the World Serpent.
Gray Serpent: "Valkyrie are lucky. Whether it's implanted Artificial Stigmata or the Stigmata they are born with, they have the means to fight against the Honkai."
Gray Serpent: "You oppose the Stigmata Project and the serpent's ideology. But you've never considered that it is precisely the Stigmata, which you regard as a ferocious tiger, that guarantees the peace of the current world."
Those who possess the Stigmata may die young, but compared to ordinary people, they are undoubtedly born lucky.
Theresa: "Grandpa, aren't you going to try to reason with him?"
Theresa couldn't win an argument with the Gray Serpent; having lived for Fifty Thousand Years, its level was far too high. Theresa decisively called for outside help.
Otto: "What are you saying? My dear granddaughter, your grandfather was merely using someone else's fruit. The value of the Stigmata to humanity is undeniable."
Mobius: "Heh heh, now you know how powerful I am, right?"
When it comes to Stigmata, Mobius is bound to show off again.
This is one of her best and proudest works; Mobius would love to jump on Vill-V's face and bounce around in it.
Otto: "But the Stigmata Project is a terrible project. The Flame-Chasers don't like it, and even now, the Lord of the World Serpent is against Stigmata Project, isn't he?"
Kevin: "..."
Mobius: "... tsk."
The Stigmata Project aimed to extend the Kindling Project into the Current Era in hopes of opening up new horizons, but a loss is a loss.
The battle with the Herrscher caused them to lose their homeland, and the Stigmata that have been passed down to later generations are evidence that the Previous Era acknowledged their defeat.
In the scene, at the heart of Coral Island in Southeast Asia, an elevator towers like clouds. It was originally meant to be a stairway for humanity to step into the universe, but now it has not yet fulfilled its intended purpose and has instead become a cradle for habitation.
"Mei, you are about to enter the heart of Coral Island. The Herrscher of Ice is hiding in the garden area." Raven reminded the two through the communicator.
Raiden Mei replied, "Proceed according to plan. I'm going to confront the Herrscher."
"Setting the trap will take about ten minutes. I will send you the coordinates once it's complete. I will do my best to cooperate with you in case of any unforeseen circumstances."
"Also, the trigger time for the Scepter of Duat is very short, so please be sure to lure the Herrscher to the correct location."
Holding the Scepter of Duat, Chen Tianwu walked to a hidden corner to set up a trap.
Raiden Mei was walking towards the Herrscher of Ice.
The further you go, the colder it gets.
In the frozen sea of flowers, Honkai Energy stirred up chaotic air currents, churning Raiden and frost. The two enormous energies collided, engulfing everything.
"Raiden Mei, the trap has been set. Please lure the Herrscher to the correct location," Chen Tianwu's voice came through.
Without further hesitation, Raiden Mei turned and transformed into a bolt of lightning, hurtling through the snow and ice towards the marked location.
The Herrscher of Ice summoned countless icebergs to block Raiden Mei's path.
Just as the iceberg was about to seal off the entire garden, with a whoosh, Raven pulled the trigger several kilometers away, clearing away all the obstacles blocking Raiden Mei's path.
Raiden Mei didn't miss this opening; the lightning flashed and disappeared in an instant, covering hundreds of meters away in a second.
"I have arrived at the coordinates!"
Raiden Mei braced herself against the ground with one hand, looking up at the Herrscher of Ice was chasing after her.
"Received. The Herrscher's actions have been confirmed. The Scepter of Duat is initiated!"
It's done!
Amidst the icy currents carried by the storm, the Herrscher of Ice charged forward, Raiden Mei gripping her sword in one hand, poised to strike.
When the Herrscher of Ice was about tens of meters away from her, Raiden Mei shouted, "Owl, now!"
"..."
There was no response in the communication.
A few seconds passed, Raiden Mei suddenly realized something was wrong. "Owl?"
The response she received was not from her teammates, but from the Scepter of Duat unfolding beneath Raiden Mei's feet, and the Herrscher of Ice attack.
Meanwhile, Raven, through the scope of the Seven Thunders of Retribution, witnessed the accident that had befallen Raiden Mei: "What on earth happened?"
How could such a perfectly good plan go wrong?
Raven had no time to think. The Herrscher of Ice was within her sniping range. Just as she was about to fire, a dark shadow suddenly appeared behind her.
Who is it?
... thump.
Before Raven could react, a tranquilizer dart struck her arm, knocking her unconscious.
Her vision blurred, and in the last second before she lost consciousness, she saw Chen Tianwu, who had snatched the Seven Thunders of Retribution.
"Owl... you bastard..."
The Owl has betrayed us.
Raven lay fallen in the icy snow, while Mei in the distance continued to resist the Herrscher of Ice's chilling aura.
The video ends here.
Raven: "Damn it! Owl, you bastard, you actually dared to betray us!"
She was shivering with cold. Raven a mercenary for so many years; what storms hadn't she weathered?
But within the World Serpent organization, this was the first time she had been betrayed. Didn't that Owl know that betrayal comes at a price?!
Raiden Mei: "I suddenly feel like World Serpent is a bit unreliable."
Kevin: "Stare..."
Gray Serpent: "Ahem, Your Majesty, please calm down. Owl is not one of our insiders, much less a supporter of the Stigmata Project. He joined World Serpent to pay a price, so loyalty is out of the question."
Jackal: "Heh, even the Raven is more reliable than him."
At least Raven wouldn't betray her teammates while on a mission; she wouldn't dare do that.
Leaving World Serpent legitimately and betraying World Serpent are two completely different concepts.
It's important to understand that World Serpent operates in the underground, gray-market industry, so its methods of cleaning house are naturally quite adept. Even if World Serpent sends Raven on a suicidal mission, Raven wouldn't dare betray them when it comes to a matter of life and death.
Especially the World Serpent, whose Lord has already returned.