Chapter 176: This is a trial
5 minutes ago,
Kallen looked at Kiana, who was gradually becoming a hero in the game, As Kallen watched this transformation, an involuntary smile spread across her face.
Cecilia, who often voices her concerns about her youngest daughter, would be surprised to see how Kiana's future growth trajectory is shaping up. It's quite astonishing to everyone around.
It seems that, much like Siegfried in the past, the members of the Kaslana family are bound by an inevitable destiny. Their choices, whether big or small, consistently guide them towards the path of becoming heroes.
witnessing Kiana finally overcoming Herrscher's will, Kallen couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
It was a sigh that carried a mixture of pride, relief, and a hint of awe for the journey Kiana had undertaken. A journey that was undoubtedly going to be an unforgettable chapter in her life.
However, looking back, Kallen couldn't shake off a nagging worry. She couldn't help but wonder if this entire sequence of events, whether intentional or accidental, was aligning perfectly with Otto's experimental expectations.
The step-by-step progress, the victories, the growth - was it all part of a grand plan? Was every step taken just a move in a game orchestrated by a man's expectations?
Not long after the short film had concluded, Kallen found herself deep in thought. She was contemplating whether she needed to increase her supervision over ARC City when an emergency message arrived from that very location.
The message reported violent Honkai energy reactions emanating from ARC City. The steadily increasing Honkai energy was a clear indication that a breakout was imminent. If that were to happen, it would likely result in almost everyone in the city becoming infected, or worse, dead.
As Kallen thought about the storyline in the game, she couldn't help but wonder if history was repeating itself. The similarities were too striking to ignore.
In her panic, Kallen's mind raced through various thoughts: Heliopolis Life Sciences Pharmaceutical, ARC City, World Snake.
However, she noticed that the timeline was significantly earlier than in the game. This led her to suspect that the other party had seen the plot and decided to accelerate the timeline.
This brought up another issue. This time, not only was the Eos battleship absent, but Schicksal didn't even possess a battleship of that type.
There was indeed a gap between the game and reality.
Despite the mounting pressure, Kallen remained calm. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and began directing the mobilization of the Valkyrie.
Fortunately, the two S-class Valkyries were stationed in Saint Freya, which was closer to ARC City than the Schicksal Headquarters. This meant they could reach the city faster in case of an emergency.
Meanwhile, they also intercepted a message in ARC City. The message was surprisingly easy to decode, which led them to believe that it was intentionally leaked by the other party.
[This is a trial.]
...
Kiana couldn't help but express her admiration, "As expected of the boss, he easily accomplished things we couldn't even imagine!"
Luo Mo spent a few not-so-good minutes in the death stares of Elysia and Theresa.
During this period, he felt that he might be killed at any time, with a Judas on his head and seven arrows in his back. It was determined that it was suicide. Only thinking about the comments on the Internet could make him happy for a while.
Elysia and Theresa had the opportunity to take specific actions against Luo Mo, but their plans were interrupted by a sudden, brief sound of communication. It was an emergency communication from Schicksal.
The first person to receive the call was Theresa. As the person in charge of the location, it was only natural that Kallen's first notification would be directed to her.
"Theresa, something happened in ARC City—there is still more than an hour," Kallen's voice came over the communication device, filled with anxiety and urgency.
The communication devices of all the Valkyries present started beeping simultaneously, "DiDi——." The contents of the communication were strikingly similar.
Everyone looked at each other with serious expressions.
"Alas, after watching the video, Kevin still launched his plan." Vill-V said lazily while sitting on the sofa.
She took off her hat and held it in her hand, spinning it around casually for a few moments. She then looked at everyone and asked, with a hint of deeper meaning in her voice, "So, why aren't you taking action?"
"But…" Theresa, clearly flustered, quickly asked, "Why is this happening again?"
"Why? Indeed, that's what I want to know too," Elysia chimed in, her confusion evident. She was aware that the plan had been completely exposed, yet Kevin still decided to take the risk.
"Why?" Mobius echoed, carefully considering the word. He glanced at Kevin, who was standing aside with an indifferent expression, and suddenly understood.
"Let's not discuss that now. Regardless, we need to stop the other party first," she said.
Theresa, forcing herself to remain calm, quickly instructed, "Durandal, Rita, Fu Hua, and Kiana, you all need to board the plane to ARC City immediately."
"Himeko, start Hyperion. I'll join you. Hurry up," she added.
After giving her instructions, she quickly ushered everyone away.
"Second sister, you should go too. You see, both the eldest sister and I are going," Kiana's voice could be heard in the wind. Regardless of anything else, she grabbed Sirin and started running.
"I know, I know, I will go, so don't drag me!" Sirin's impatient voice echoed in response.
Despite not being the sharpest tool in the shed, Kiana was quick to think in this moment. In the game, the disaster in ARC City was resolved by the Second Herrscher, who is now Sirin. What if she didn't go and her side failed to manage the situation?
As for the Flame-Chasers, she had a clear understanding of them. With so many unreliable strong men, would they wait for the entire city to be destroyed before they were willing to act?
In the blink of an eye, the only people left were Luo Mo, Luna, Cecilia, and the Flame-Chasers.
" Oh? Little white mouse, don't you go and take a look?" Mobius asked with interest.
"Me? I'm not one to be on the front lines. Everything I can tell you about this situation is already in the plot. Getting information from you here seems to be a more effective approach than going there myself," Luo Mo responded.
He was concerned, but he didn't let it consume him as much as Theresa and Kiana did.
He was well aware of his role in this situation.
"I hate to disappoint you, but we're just as clueless about this matter. Besides, this is a matter of this civilization," Mobius stated. This was something they had agreed upon from the start.
The battle against Honkai was a responsibility of this generation, and the Flame-Chasers were only there to provide voluntary assistance. Not to mention, this time they were up against Kevin, a former comrade.
The most crucial point was that Kevin didn't seem to be hiding his intentions or plans. There were clues and ideas that he was openly displaying.
Mobius paused for a moment, then continued in a softer tone, leaving some room for interpretation. "The most we can do is offer our help, especially when it comes to Kevin."
"But then, why does Kevin still proceed with this plan?" Luo Mo asked. In his view, once the intentions of the World Snake were revealed, no one would dare to repeat the same steps.
"Looking on the bright side, perhaps Kevin, just like in the game, isn't paying much attention to this incident?" Mobius suggested with a slight smile, although she didn't quite believe her own words.
"Do you really think I would believe that?" Luo Mo retorted, rolling his eyes. He wasn't going to fall for such nonsense.
"So, are you just going to stand by and watch?" Cecilia asked, her voice tinged with anxiety. She was clenching and unclenching her hands nervously. Having just witnessed her daughter's situation in the game, she was fearful of the same scenario in reality.
If it weren't for her body being in a critical stage of recovery, she would have already taken up her spear and charged forward.
Without thinking, her gaze fell on the pink-haired girl who was the most familiar face in the crowd. "Elysia, is there anything you can do?" she asked, her voice filled with hope.
"Ugh…" Elysia responded, touching her cheek in distress. She poked Kevin's back with her other hand and said, "I'm really touched by your trust in me, but… Kevin, do you have any suggestions? You should know yourself better than anyone else."
"If he's willing, we'll only find out after the disaster strikes," Kevin replied, glancing at his friends before falling silent once again
"That's right, that's right. If there are no obstacle on the path to becoming a hero, wouldn't we end up being the villains of history instead?" Vill-V interjected, laughing boisterously and somewhat arrogantly.
She pulled out a card and slowly flipped it over, as if she was about to reveal the answer to a mystery.
"Kevin, he decided to take a gamble. He didn't care whether it would succeed or not; he just wanted to give it a shot."
"So, he gambled with the lives of an entire city's people?" Cecilia asked, looking at her with incomprehension. The other party's attitude of placing more trust in her daughter than in her own self was causing her to panic.
"No, he's blocking people from all corners of the globe," Vill-V stated, her words heavy with meaning.
She was firmly convinced that if Kiana and the others failed to achieve the desired outcome this time and couldn't earn the title of heroes in the game, he would accelerate the implementation of his real-world stigma plan, denying them the chance to progress as they had been doing.
"So, you're just going to let this happen?" Luo Mo asked, a frown creasing his forehead.
"Guinea Pig, nobody wants a tragedy to occur; not you, not anyone. But if the hero in the game manages to save the world yet fails to do anything when faced with a real-life crisis, it will only bring despair to everyone."
It was clear that Mobius was in agreement with Kevin's approach. After fifty thousand years, it seemed that the little MEI follower had made some headway.
"At the very least, we're no longer pinning all our hopes on a single individual," she added.
"So, all of you acknowledge Kiana in the game as the savior?" Cecilia asked, her disbelief evident as she glanced around at everyone.
Elysia's lips tightened into a thin line. She felt the urge to leave, but Vill-V, Mobius, Aponia, and Kevin were all watching her, their eyes filled with anticipation, awaiting her decision.
"I…" Elysia began, her voice wavering with hesitation.
"Ellie, this is their fight now. If there's too much meddling, the outcome will remain unchanged," Vill-V advised her, her tone gentle yet firm.
Vill-V had never encouraged Elysia to step in from the start. She knew Elysia's character well - she would only end up blaming herself over and over again. This was something Vill-V had understood from the very beginning.
The harsh reality was that they didn't have a better strategy to face the finality, and there was no point in repeating the same actions. It was wiser to leave the task to those who would come after them.
...
A large number of Schicksal's Valkyries swiftly boarded the battleships, ready for the mission ahead, and Anti-Entropy's response was also very quick.
Just before the operation commenced, Bronya and Seele were dispatched. Their involvement was crucial to the success of this mission.
However, Welt Yang's injury had severe implications. It meant he could no longer utilize the Herrscher Core. Moreover, the number of anti-entropy mechas available in ARC City was a cause for concern, as most of them were intended for civilian use.
While it wasn't impossible to modify these mechas, there was no need to complicate matters at this point.
As a result, the primary force for this mission comprised Schicksal's Valkyries.
Traveling at maximum speed, it took them an hour to reach ARC City from the far east(Japan).
"Just to be safe, Himeko, you should stay on the battleship, and the battleship should not enter the city," Theresa advised.
Theresa recalled part of the plot and realized she could no longer contribute Honkai generator engine to enemy in plot like Rita.
And If the battleship were to be destroyed, her academy would face immediate bankruptcy.
But she reassured herself. Looking around at the numerous Valkyries, she noticed three S-class ones among them. "It's okay! We can do this!" she said, cheering herself up.
Upon entering the city, the Valkyries, despite their numbers, blended into the massive crowd, becoming almost invisible. This was a bustling city, teeming with people and tourists alike.
Kiana, was certain that if she hadn't used Schicksal's technology to alter her appearance, she would have stood out even more.
This was one of the downsides of being a 'big star' - the constant need for anonymity.
As Kiana surveyed the sea of people, she felt a wave of confusion wash over her. "Wait a minute," she said, "how are we supposed to find anything in such a large city?"
Fu Hua, responded with a sense of urgency. "We're running out of time. We need to split up." She added, "The city's Heliopolis Life Sciences headquarter in the game could be worth investigating."
Theresa, agreed with Fu Hua's suggestion. "That's a good plan. Kiana, you'll team up with Fu Hua. As for the Heliopolis Life Sciences, Fu Hua will handle it. She is the Red Kite Immortal, after all."
Durandal, chimed in. "Hold on; we can't take the enemy's base lightly. I'll accompany Senior Fu Hua." Durandal held her lance firmly, her warrior-like demeanor evident.
Everyone concurred with the plan and swiftly dispersed, each set on accomplishing their individual tasks.
Except for Rita, the others were not alone.
They had go into the Heliopolis Life Sciences Industrial Zone in ARC City. However, the place was almost deserted, with only a few bare instruments left behind, devoid of any useful information.
They soon found themselves delving deeper into the zone. There, in the quiet depths, they noticed a solitary figure waiting patiently.
Kevin, the figure, recognized the two arrivals. They were the very individuals he had been seeking, which saved him considerable effort.
"Hua, you're here," he greeted, "Just in time, come and catch up with me."
Fu Hua, taken aback by this unexpected encounter, frowned.
She couldn't help but question Kevin's intentions. "Kevin, even after all this, do you still intend to carry out the Stigma Project? Here in this city?"
Kevin responded calmly, "The existence of plans for the game's future proves its necessity. I have no intention of fighting with you, Hua. I just need to be quiet and wait for a while."
Durandal, who had been observing the exchange, pondered for a moment. She felt that the threat from the Honkai bomb was of greater importance.
She decided to use this opportunity to retreat and prepare for their return. She was confident that Fu Hua could hold Kevin back.
However, their path was suddenly blocked by an ice pick rising from the ground. Fu Hua and Durandal exchanged glances before turning their attention back to Kevin.
"Apologies, but this successor cannot leave either. This is a trial for them," Kevin declared.
Durandal, realizing the impending confrontation, asked, "So, a battle is inevitable?"
Kevin, holding a large ice sword that appeared out of thin air, replied with a cold stare, "If you're willing, then so be it."
...
This time, in the alleys of the city, Rita met her old rival.
The encounter was unexpected, and it sparked a question in her mind. "Isn't it odd?" she asked, "The game has been so widely exposed. Don't you fear that the World Snake's secrets will be revealed to all?"
Rita was really curious now and looked at the gray snake in front of her.
She killed the opponent in the game, even though it was just a body, but now that I think about it, the acquaintance in the game is really a wonderful feeling.
"As PV that game said, snakes don't care about people in the world." Gray Snake said: At this time, he was like a philosopher, and every word was full of profound meaning.
"What he focuses on is how to lead to a better future."
As he spoke, his eyes gleamed with determination. The black umbrella he held aloft stood as still and timeless as a sculpture that had weathered thousands of years.
He positioned himself in front of Rita, effectively blocking her path, and awaited her response.
"I never thought I'd see you in the real world," Rita said, her eyes drawn to the peculiar eyeball. "Should I say the line? 'Maid, it's time to clean up the battlefield.' "
A smile played on her lips as she gripped her sickle, its blade standing upright, reflecting the cold moonlight. She gave a slight bow, a final act of courtesy before the impending battle.
"Considering the task the Lord has given me," he continued, "I don't think I'll be admitting defeat anytime soon."
The gray snake's eyes glowed a menacing red. Around him, the walls came alive with the images of countless gray snakes, each armed with a variety of weapons.
"This body isn't built for combat," he said, mirroring her courtesy but with words that carried a deadly intent. "How about you let me retreat for now?"
Rita's response was firm. "It looks like this will be a tough battle. But this time, I'll clear my name."
She looked up at the dark sky, a sense of helplessness creeping in. She could only hope that they would find a way to resolve this crisis.
For a brief moment, the alley was engulfed in darkness. The only sounds piercing the silence were the relentless gunshots and metal colliding one after another.
In Rita's hand, the sickle seemed to take on a life of its own, deflecting the onslaught of attacks from an array of sharp weapons. Daggers, hidden weapons, swords, and firearms materialized from the shadows, each one more menacing than the last.
Both sides of the conflict were skilled assassins. Despite Rita's Valkyrie armor, she was at a disadvantage due to the sheer number of her opponents.
Every time she managed to take down one, another quickly took its place, making it nearly impossible for her to break free from the encircling danger.
As the battle raged on, Rita couldn't help but glance at the time.
There were still 45 minutes left before the planned outbreak time. She knew she had to hold on, but the odds were stacked against her.
all she could do now was pray...
pray that the protagonists could complete their trial.
Weekly Power Status
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