The problem was getting tricky, rising to a level that even Sigurd had to take seriously.
When methods in the domain of consciousness reached this level, it meant that the opponent was absolutely capable of interfering with Herrschers' consciousness. This posed a huge threat to the Herrschers around Sigurd—especially Kiana, whose state was particularly unique.
"A Herrscher or a remnant from the previous era, that's what I suspect. If it's not either of those two, could it be... a force from beyond this world? But regardless of which it is, what are they plotting by targeting little Theresa?"
Hera asked, puzzled.
Fu Hua thought for a moment and said, "I can't accurately judge what kind of suggestion the mastermind gave to Theresa, but from the intensity of the trace, like Otto, the person doesn't seem to have intended any real harm to Theresa."
"That's not important. I'll catch him and then send him to hell," Hera said matter-of-factly.
It was extremely domineering, but Sigurd nodded in agreement.
Putting himself in her shoes—if anyone ever tried something against Kiana... Sigurd's eyes turned cold, like an iceberg deep in the polar regions.
"In any case, this is a highly dangerous and unstable factor that needs to be dealt with as soon as possible," Sigurd concluded. Of course, whether the solution would be to capture or eliminate them would depend on who they caught.
Hera smiled with satisfaction, and Fu Hua also nodded.
No one knew better than Fu Hua how dangerous the power to interfere with the mind was. Although she held the key to consciousness, Fenghuang Down, she never delved deeply into the manipulation of people's minds, fearing that one day she would lose control and cause some irreparable tragedy.
This ability had no direct significance in fighting the Honkai, but it posed a serious threat to humanity's ideas and the order of civilization—it couldn't be ignored.
"Today's incident won't be made public, but the Herrscher-level Honkai energy eruption is there. As long as we don't completely block information, that unknown little rat will find a way to know what happened. If they have any unfinished plans for little Theresa, they will definitely come to check on her condition... For the next while, Theresa probably won't come to see me. On the contrary, she should be interacting more with you two. Luring the snake out of its hole is up to you now."
Hera spoke slowly. Seeing both of them nod in agreement, she continued, "In return, I promise to completely give up on the K423 experiment, and I won't hold a grudge about Yae Sakura. As for you, Fu Hua, I'll compensate Fuxi for the losses she incurred in this investment."
Sigurd rolled his eyes.
The Information-Origin Theory had already taken shape, defining and controlling the soul was now a feasible technology. Plus, he had perfected the link between the soul's information and life—known as the Life Equation. At present, reviving those who had recently died was a feasible process, though cumbersome and resource-intensive, making large-scale resurrection impossible.
The only thing standing in the way of reviving Kallen was how to cross time—not from a parallel world on the same timeline branch, but to retrieve Kallen's complete soul, already merged into the information of this world, from five hundred years ago.
That was Otto's job.
But no matter what, Kallen's resurrection was already within reach. At this point, not to mention Yae Sakura—even if Sigurd did something to Theresa, Otto would smile and bear it.
Of course, Sigurd wouldn't do such a thing. He had long theorized about what Otto had done to Theresa, but he had never acted on it.
The reason was simple: one of the most crucial factors allowing the current world to develop stably and continue to defeat the Honkai in the future was Otto's cooperation. To ensure Otto's full cooperation, Sigurd would avoid doing anything to displease him. It wasn't fear, but the vision of a mature leader.
No matter how much potential Theresa had, she was nothing compared to Otto's resources and influence.
As for Yae Sakura, that was an accident. If Sigurd hadn't discovered the immense value of the Jizo Mitama, and that the incomplete God Key needed the support of the Previous Era's Herrscher of Corruption, Sigurd wouldn't have bothered with Yae Sakura. After all, she had been dead for more than five hundred years, and no matter how cute or popular she was, Sigurd didn't care about her.
In short, Otto's compensation was like empty-handed white wolf tactics to Sigurd, essentially getting something for nothing.
But Fu Hua scratched her face, embarrassed, and said, "Well, Fuxi's investment is her own business, after all. Besides, from what I know, she is extremely optimistic about the development here due to Anti-Entropy's large-scale construction and investment in the Far East. So she invested most of her money into this country... that must be quite a large sum."
Speaking of it, the Book of Fuxi was also quite unlucky. Her judgment of the world order was extremely accurate. With Anti-Entropy's construction and the full-scale deployment of the Moonlight Throne, safety was guaranteed, and the energy supply was virtually limitless. For a long time, the Far East's economy would undoubtedly flourish—unfortunately, the Honkai didn't follow conventional logic.
Ordinary natural disasters, along with reconstruction and speculative capital, might have allowed the Book of Fuxi to recoup some of its losses. But after a massive Honkai event, even if the Fourth God Key could somehow repair the damage, there would still be deadly residual Honkai energy in the short term.
There was also always the chance of new Honkai beasts or zombies appearing. In short, the place was unsalvageable; besides Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, no one would dare invest in this land.
Fu Hua rubbed her nose and let out a bitter laugh. She could already imagine the Book of Fuxi rolling around on the floor in frustration.
She wouldn't be surprised if, by the time she got home, the poor child would resort to some dramatic stunt like crying, throwing a tantrum, or threatening to hang herself, trying to get Fu Hua to help secure funds.
"Don't worry, it's just pocket change."
Hera waved dismissively.
Don't underestimate the accumulated resources of an organization that has ruled the world in secret for 500 years. To Hera, money is something that, as long as it's a legitimate expense passing through Amber's checks, is available in endless amounts. As for Amber, unless the money is being funneled into some game, she usually has no objections.
Fu Hua was momentarily shaken by such boldness, then furrowed her brows and continued:
"Something feels off. We just staged this conflict, and then the next day you're compensating Fuxi's investment. Won't that raise suspicion?"
Hera raised an eyebrow, but before she could respond, Sigurd explained with an expressionless face:
"You're overthinking it. On one hand, she's long stopped thinking like a normal person; but on the other hand, in terms of skill, she knows better than anyone how to play the human role. So, having a conflict today and cheerfully sending gifts tomorrow—that's her normal behavior. You have value. The more she acts like this, the more it seems perfectly natural."
"Me? Value?"
"To be fair, someone like you, with such exceptional abilities and an honest personality, is quite rare now. Based on Otto's character, shamelessly showering you with favors is routine and won't raise any eyebrows. In fact, it'll make people feel like everything's in order. Besides, he won't be at a loss. For example, I just found the Book of Fuxi in your underground vault at Taixu Mountain and did some repairs, and now you're willing to do anything for me. So, investing more is actually a profit for him—you should just accept it."
Yes, someone as honest as Fu Hua was rare. Even Welt had developed a sharp, cunning side now. But Fu Hua, after regaining her invincible power, seemed even more gentle and easy to persuade, presenting a soft and agreeable demeanor.
"What do you mean, 'willing to do anything'? The way you're saying it makes it sound like I'm easily manipulated," Fu Hua said with a shake of her head and a laugh.
She wasn't a fool. She could discern who treated her with sincerity and who had ulterior motives.
Sigurd often spoke bluntly, and his actions were sometimes aggressive, but deep down, he was good-hearted.
At the very least, his moral boundaries were far higher than most.
As for Otto... even though he had committed countless atrocities, Fu Hua could sense his genuine care for her after she shifted her perspective.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have promised to fully support Otto if he ever had a change of heart.
As for Hera, despite Sigurd's harsh remarks, she only smiled and said to him, "Since I'm so good at playing the human role, should I hand over the Herrscher of Ice I just acquired to you, as a sign of my sincerity?"
"Deal."
"(*￣3￣)╭ Wait a minute! I was just joking!"
"(˙-˙) No, you weren't."
"I really was joking!"
"...Fine then."
Sigurd pouted and slumped onto the table, his eyelids growing heavy to the point of being unable to keep them open.
Otto invested in Fu Hua because she was an honest person, and there would inevitably be returns. Sigurd, however, was not. If Otto backed down right after their conflict, it would arouse suspicion.
Knowing that something was impossible yet still playing along—Otto was truly a master of boredom.
As Sigurd's thoughts slowly scattered, he closed his eyes and soon began to breathe evenly.
...
At the same time, far away in the grand and magnificent Sky City, deep within the headquarters of Schicksal, a silver-haired, golden-eyed girl raised her head, as if she had sensed something beyond the thick metal walls.
"What's wrong, Young Miss?"
"Nothing, I just felt like someone was thinking about me. When you reach a certain level, your senses can become overly sensitive. It's probably nothing important."
"Oh... I wonder how those kids are doing. Were they safely rescued... Young Miss, did we really do the right thing? So many people died in this incident... We could've saved so many of them."
"Many people were destined to die, whether or not we acted. In the face of the Honkai, there is no escape. On the contrary, we facilitated the birth of two new Herrschers for the new era, which is of great significance for the future. As for me... I cannot act until the final day arrives."
Kiana's voice was as calm as ever, carrying a slight soothing tone as it echoed in Vira's mind.
"Go to sleep early. In the future, you'll have plenty of chances to save many lives."
"Oh..." Vira muttered in disappointment, nuzzling into Kiana's soft embrace. She took a deep breath, inhaling the faintly sweet fragrance, and gradually drifted into sleep.
<+>
Tn: If you want to see more chapter of this story, please go to my Ko-Fi[1], just for $5 each month, you can read till the latest chapter.
Latest Chapter in Ko-Fi: Chapter 274: Infighting? A Hundredfold Payback![2]
Link to the latest chapter: https://ko-fi.com/post/Chapter-274-Infighting-A-Hundredfold-Payback-E1E31DBJY8[3]
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/hildegard[4]
[1] https://ko-fi.com/hildegard
[2] https://ko-fi.com/post/Chapter-274-Infighting-A-Hundredfold-Payback-E1E31DBJY8
[3] https://ko-fi.com/post/Chapter-274-Infighting-A-Hundredfold-Payback-E1E31DBJY8
[4] https://ko-fi.com/hildegard