Chapter 277: Welt: I'm Where Now?
The Japanese Branch faced a much less severe Honkai threat compared to the Philippines or even the Oceania Branch, which was also providing support to the main battlefield.
While the Oceania Branch was stretched thin, the Japanese Branch had been ordered to defend their own territory, their combat load the lightest in the Eastern Hemisphere.
Though puzzled by the order, both Theresa and Himeko had complied.
So, while they had fewer Valkyries on the front lines, their overall strength was greater, allowing them to provide valuable battlefield experience to their students while maintaining a secure defense against the manageable Honkai incursions.
The Japanese Branch was… unique.
Theresa, ever the doting principal, had not only provided the students with standard equipment, but had also opened up the branch's extensive arsenal, allowing them to choose their own weapons. T
he Hyperion's main cannon was also on standby, ready to eliminate any high-level threats, ensuring the students' safety.
It was almost… overprotective.
Which was why Himeko was so exasperated by Kiana's recklessness. We're bending over backwards to keep you safe, and you're deliberately putting yourselves in danger?
They were charging headfirst into the Honkai hordes, leaving their classmates and teachers behind, even outpacing the Valkyries assigned to support them.
"Reckless idiots! I'll deal with them later!" Himeko muttered, marching towards the battlefield, her greatsword held high.
Theresa sighed, watching her go. Himeko hadn't been this… intense before becoming a teacher. Her temper, like her alcohol tolerance, had increased considerably.
"Don't worry, Principal. The situation is stable. Himeko is probably just… eager to fight," Fu Hua reassured her.
"She cares too much about the students… she projects her own… regrets onto them…" Theresa sighed, then changed the subject. "What about you, Fu Hua? Are you feeling… restless too?"
Fu Hua, like Himeko, an A-rank Valkyrie, had remained on the Hyperion with Theresa, a reserve force for emergencies.
And now, an emergency had arisen, albeit an unexpected one.
"No, Principal." Fu Hua's gaze shifted from the screen displaying Kiana's antics. "This is a valuable learning experience for the students. I'll stay here and provide support."
"I can't tell if you're being humble or showing off," Theresa grumbled. Having an A-rank Valkyrie as a student… it still felt surreal.
"Principal, I…" Fu Hua started to explain, but a sudden coughing fit interrupted her.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
The sound came from the control console.
Fu Hua turned towards the source.
"The eruption was sudden. The students were pulled from class and deployed immediately. All academic activities have been suspended," Theresa explained. "Many of our teachers are also Valkyries. They're currently on the battlefield, providing instruction and support. The others are assisting with technical and logistical support."
"I see," Fu Hua replied.
She already knew this, but she indulged Theresa's explanation.
"The Hyperion is a large ship. We need all hands on deck…" Theresa grumbled. "I've even drafted the medical and kitchen staff. They're all working in their respective roles."
Fu Hua frowned. "Principal, did you… evacuate the entire academy onto the ship?" That seemed excessive. Were they planning to relocate permanently?
"It's a temporary measure! And what do you mean by that?" Theresa's eyes narrowed. "Are you suggesting I should pay them double?" Absolutely not. The academy's budget was already stretched thin.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!" The coughing intensified.
"Is that… Mr. Yang from the history department?" Fu Hua recognized the sound.
"Yes. He insisted on coming, despite his poor health. He was worried about the students," Theresa sighed.
Fu Hua was speechless.
"Cough… cough…" The coughing became more subdued, as if the person was trying to suppress it.
"I told him not to push himself…" Theresa sighed again. "Fu Hua, please take Mr. Yang to the infirmary. His condition is… distracting."
"Of course." Fu Hua, making sure Theresa hadn't noticed anything unusual about "Mr. Yang," glanced at the monitors.
Kiana, Mei, and Bronya had rejoined Himeko. The screen showed the fiery-haired Valkyrie scolding Kiana, who looked suitably chastened.
Seeing no other emergencies, she relaxed slightly, shaking her head at Kiana's predictable behavior, then walked towards the control console, where "Mr. Yang" was working with several technicians.
"Mr. Yang, please come with me to the infirmary," she said gently.
"But…" Welt, his face pale, his forehead beaded with sweat, wanted to protest.
"It's the Principal's order," Fu Hua said, her expression and tone unchanged.
"Very well…" He sighed, allowing her to escort him out. Someone else quickly took his place at the console.
After navigating the series of airlocks, Fu Hua took him to the infirmary, where he received some medication, then to a private room. She nodded politely, about to leave.
"Fu Hua, wait," Welt said.
"You should rest, Mr. Yang," she replied, her tone still flat.
"Thank you for your concern." He smiled weakly. "I've checked. There are no surveillance systems here. You don't have to be so… cautious."
When it came to disguise and deception, the Herrscher of Reason was practically unmatched. He could alter his appearance at a genetic level, undetectable by any conventional means.
Only another Herrscher, or someone like Fu Hua, intimately familiar with the Key of Consciousness, could see through his disguise, sensing his true nature at a fundamental level.
And then… nothing. It wasn't her concern where he chose to hide. As long as he didn't interfere with her mission, she was happy to maintain the charade.
That's why they'd been able to… cooperate recently, exchanging small favors. He'd helped her, and she'd helped him.
Both favors, coincidentally, related to Lin Wei.
"Is there something I can help you with, Welt?" she asked, dropping the pretense. Maintaining a false persona was tiring.
"Don't misunderstand, Fu Hua. I just wanted to ask you something that, in my current position as a humble history teacher, I don't have access to." He smiled wryly, pulling out a communicator he'd created with his powers.
"I was hoping to contact Tesla and Einstein, but I can't seem to reach them…" He paused, his voice filled with concern. "Has anything happened? To Anti-Entropy?"
His partners' sudden silence worried him. He feared Otto might have taken action against them.
He's surprisingly… straightforward, Fu Hua thought. Isn't he afraid I'll report this to Otto? She, no longer bound by her oaths, found his naivete almost… endearing. He hasn't suffered enough, she mused.
She reviewed her memories, all the information she'd gathered recently, then shook her head. "No. As far as I know, aside from this eruption, Schicksal hasn't taken any action against Anti-Entropy."
"Is that so?" Welt relaxed slightly. "Perhaps they're busy with… internal matters?" Despite the recent turmoil within Anti-Entropy, the escalating power struggles, he still believed the organization was relatively stable.
He knew nothing about the events in the deep ocean. Only a handful of people did.
"I wouldn't know about Anti-Entropy's internal affairs," Fu Hua replied. She wasn't privy to such information, and she wasn't interested.
"I see. Thank you."
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." She subtly reverted to the formal address. "Please rest, Mr. Yang. And take your medicine."
"Beep, beep, beep…" Her communicator chirped. It was Otto.
Why is he contacting me now? She excused herself and left the room, answering the call in the empty corridor.
"Hello, my old friend. How are you?" Otto's voice was cheerful, almost jovial. "I have some good news. The Sovereign of Anti-Entropy, Welt Yang, has been… invited to Schicksal HQ for a… visit."
"Pfft!" Welt, in the next room, choked on his medicine.
I'm going where now?
Chapter 278: Lin Wei = Welt? Impossible!
Schicksal HQ, the floating island.
"Overseer, the mission is complete. I'm returning to HQ," Durandal reported, her voice echoing in Otto's private quarters. She was flying above the clouds, carrying the unconscious Lin Wei. "I left Yuno in Manila to assist Rita. She'll return with them later."
Otto, seemingly uninterested in Yuno, simply replied, "Since you took her with you, you should at least let her see her friend." Then, his tone turning serious, he asked, "Report." He dispensed with pleasantries.
"It went smoothly." Durandal held Lin Wei close, deliberately slowing her flight, careful not to jostle the unconscious man.
She hadn't cared much before, but after witnessing his actions, she felt… a strange sense of respect. "The target seems to be suffering from severe exhaustion. He was unconscious when I retrieved him." She glossed over the incident with Anna, not wanting to cause trouble. She admired the girl's loyalty.
"Is that so? Excellent." Otto's voice was a mix of disappointment and amusement. "Let's give our 'hero' a proper welcome." Despite the honorific, his tone was devoid of respect. He had little patience for heroics.
"I confirm that this 'Lin Wei' is the same individual as 'He Kun' from the previous mission," Durandal continued. "I also made… another discovery."
"Oh?" Otto's interest was piqued.
"The individual who interfered with my previous mission and took the target… is likely connected to him." Durandal glanced at the katana still clutched in Lin Wei's hand. "I recognize the weapon. He's holding it now."
"Is that so?" Otto was surprised. He'd assumed it was World Serpent, not another player interfering with his plans. This was… intriguing. "Our old friend seems to have… improved." The naive, idealistic Welt he remembered had become a cunning schemer. He was impressed.
Normally, such news would have angered him, but now, with Welt himself as his target, this only made the prize more valuable.
"It seems we might be able to… recover what we lost," he mused, his voice filled with a predatory glee. Not only would he capture Welt, but he might also retrieve what Welt had taken from Raven. A double victory.
As for Durandal's earlier report about a woman interfering with her mission… that wasn't a problem. Welt could easily disguise himself as a woman. He just needed to understand the… mechanics of female anatomy.
And a Herrscher, with the element of surprise, could easily overpower Durandal and steal her target.
He'd already constructed a plausible explanation, based on the limited information available. Who would have anticipated a completely unknown player entering the game?
There were still unanswered questions, of course. If Welt was so powerful, so cunning, why had he remained hidden, allowing Anti-Entropy to tear itself apart? Did he have another agenda?
"Are you certain he's unconscious?" he asked, still wary of Welt's abilities.
"Yes, Overseer," Durandal replied, checking Lin Wei's condition again. "It appears to be extreme exhaustion from his earlier actions. He won't be recovering anytime soon. As for any other injuries, we'll need to conduct a thorough examination."
"Of course, it's Welt, after all." Otto relaxed. "No matter how much a person changes, some things remain constant. We'll get our answers when he arrives at Schicksal HQ. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
He was confident he could control Welt. A man burdened by such a strong sense of justice, of duty, was easily manipulated. As long as Welt clung to his ideals, Otto had him on a leash.
And if Welt abandoned those ideals… then he wouldn't be Welt anymore, would he?
He looked at the satellite image, the large gap in the clouds above Manila.
Insignificant.
"Good work, Bianka," he said, satisfied. "Safe travels. And don't keep our guest waiting too long." He ended the call. He trusted Durandal to handle any unforeseen circumstances.
"Now, while we wait, let's check on another old friend with a… strong sense of duty." He smiled, his expression strangely amused. "I hope our dear Fu Hua isn't too surprised by this news…"
He still trusted Fu Hua, but he wanted to remind her of her place, to discourage any… independent thoughts, to ensure she continued playing her assigned role.
Just like he'd done countless times over the past five hundred years, whenever she'd shown signs of rebellion, like that little stunt she'd pulled in New York half a century ago.
He always forgave her, of course. All he had to do was mention her oath to protect Shenzhou, and she would immediately fall back in line.
It had always worked.
Even though the once naive Immortal had become more cunning, more adept at deception, her fate remained unchanged. She was still his pawn.
"A strong sense of duty… such a tragic flaw," he murmured, his smile cold and calculating.
It was because of Fu Hua that he'd so readily accepted Welt's "transformation," confident that he could still control him. Such people were so easily manipulated.
"Hello, my old friend. How are you?" He contacted Fu Hua, his tone instantly shifting to one of friendly concern. "I have some good news. The Sovereign of Anti-Entropy, Welt, has been invited to Schicksal HQ. He'll be arriving shortly…" He wanted to see her reaction.
As expected, she was momentarily stunned, then, after a brief pause, she replied, her expression and tone unchanged. "That's not funny, Otto."
Did you discover Welt's presence at St. Freya? Are you trying to pressure me? she wondered.
Welt, in the next room, after his initial shock, came to the same conclusion. He held his breath, listening intently, ready to flee if necessary.
"Not funny? My dear Fu Hua…" Otto was pleased by her reaction. Such surprise couldn't be faked. He decided to push a little further. "On the contrary, we've located Welt. He's currently with Durandal and will be arriving at HQ soon." He paused, feigning excitement. "Isn't that… wonderful news?"
Fu Hua stared at him, her expression unreadable. She didn't believe he would waste her time with such a childish prank.
Durandal escorting Welt to Schicksal HQ?
Then who was the sickly man she'd just seen?
Welt, equally confused, continued to listen intently.
"Overseer, instead of wasting my time with these… jokes, I suggest you focus on the current Honkai eruption," Fu Hua said, her tone sharp. "I'm currently on the Hyperion. My time is limited. What do you want, Otto?" She knew he always had an ulterior motive.
"Very well, I'll be brief." Seeing her annoyance, not surprise, he abandoned his little game, slightly disappointed. "A year ago, I asked you to investigate a civilian named 'Lin Wei' near St. Freya. Do you remember?" He knew she remembered everything. Unless she was deliberately feigning ignorance.
Fu Hua paused, surprised by the sudden change of subject. From Welt to Lin Wei… and it was such a minor incident… why bring it up now?
Did you capture him? she asked, her brow furrowed.
That's why he wasn't in Singapore… she thought, her worry growing. This was bad news.
"You seem rather… concerned about this Lin Wei," Otto chuckled, noticing her frown. "You're right. He's currently with Durandal, on his way to Schicksal HQ."
"Wait," Fu Hua interrupted, her eyes narrowing. "Are you saying… Lin Wei is Welt?"
Otto confirmed it.
Fu Hua touched a feather to her forehead, its pink glow enveloping her, checking her consciousness. "I'm not dreaming…" she muttered, confused. But this is… absurd.
Lin Wei was Welt? Impossible! She knew Lin Wei. It didn't make sense.
I'm right here. How can Lin Wei be Welt? Welt, in the next room, was equally baffled.
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