"Aaargh!"
Jackal abruptly jolted awake from her maintenance pod.
When undertaking direct assaults against Anti-Entropy, it was crucial to prepare for the possibility of not returning. Naturally, Jackal had taken precautions by backing up her consciousness within Gray Serpent's collective neural network, synchronizing memories until her original body's demise.
"Damn! My death must have been gruesome! If I ever catch that bastard responsible, they'll regret it! But since I've been revived, Gray Serpent must still be intact. The only question is whether our Lord successfully returned or not."
The maintenance pod door slowly opened before her, but Jackal felt a sense of hopelessness creeping in.
After all, when the device was launched, Wendy hadn't fully Herrschified, resulting in insufficient quantum signal strength. Combined with Anti-Entropy's interference nearby, the chances of success were slim.
"Gray Serpent, how's the si-sit-situation..."
As Jackal sat up from the maintenance pod, her first instinct was to seek confirmation from Gray Serpent about the situation.
However, instead of being greeted by her familiar old companion, she found herself face-to-face with a handsome silver-haired youth with blue eyes. He lounged on a simple yet imposing metal throne, with the fiery red Cleaver of Shamash leaning against it nearby. Crossing his legs, he stared expressionlessly at Jackal.
The same hair color and eye hue, the ability to wield the Cleaver of Shamash, and an equally cold demeanor. Aside from appearing significantly younger, for a moment, Jackal felt as if she were seeing her revered Lord.
There was one distinction: Kevin's aloofness stemmed primarily from unwavering conviction, devoid of any distractions, and perhaps no one in this world deemed worthy of his smile. In contrast, Zeke's coldness seemed more akin to impatience, as if saying—I don't wish to engage with fools.
"Uh... (o_o) I surrender!" Jackal raised her hands, smiling innocuously.
Regardless, as a researcher with no physical prowess, Jackal had ample confidence that if pitted against this monster wielding the Cleaver of Shamash, within seconds, her opponent would beg her not to die.
Face? Ha! Survival comes first; there's no shame in it!
"Indeed, you seem quite aware," Zeke remarked, his indifferent expression softening slightly, seemingly pleased by Jackal's pragmatic approach that didn't waste time.
Then, he continued, "I want everything in your mind—the Project Stigma, synthetic Honkai Beast creation techniques, human body modification technologies, and all other knowledge you've developed or obtained from the previous era's civilization. I desire it all."
"Well, the amount of information is vast, and it can't be explained clearly just like that. Why don't you bring Gray Serpent here too? With both of us working together, we'd be much more efficient." Rubbing her hands, Jackal responded with genuine sincerity—though secretly hoping to sell out Gray Serpent's clone, creating an opportunity for escape.
Zeke sighed, expressing slight regret:
"I also wanted to bring you two together, but unfortunately, Otto took Gray Serpent away."
Jackal's smile froze.
Fuck!
On the surface, Jackal occasionally displayed disdain for Otto, and Gray Serpent would dismiss him as just a five-hundred-year-old upstart. However, deep down, they both understood that Otto's five centuries encompassed mastering the Void Archives. During this time, he developed numerous "black technologies"—some replicating advancements from the previous civilization, while others were entirely novel, even beyond their scope.
In merely a hundred years, Otto transformed Schicksal, originally leaning towards secular religious influence, into the undisputed most powerful force in the world. Moreover, for many years, he effectively suppressed Honkai so thoroughly that the general populace barely felt its threat.
Otto was like a bottomless pool of dark water, with no way to fathom the extent of his hidden knowledge. In terms of scientific research capabilities and cunning, he far surpassed both Jackal and Gray Serpent combined, by an unimaginable margin.
With Gray Serpent now under Otto's control, it seemed all but certain that his fate was sealed. It appeared there could be no reliance on him anymore.
Involuntarily, Jackal's gaze shifted towards Cocolia, the obedient maid standing behind Zeke.
'Tsk! I knew that bastard Gray Serpent couldn't be trusted! He must have shown mercy again, just like with this little crow... Well, no point dwelling on it; she can't be relied upon either.'
Jackal's mind raced at high speed, but being alone and even having his resurrection orchestrated within the enemy's stronghold left him seemingly without any options.
Zeke stared straight at her for a moment before shaking his head.
"It appears you're still not forthcoming. No matter, I have experts here. If necessary, we can always resort to some of Otto's brainwashing techniques. For now, I'll hand her over to you, Cocolia."
"Yes, Sir Zeke! I guarantee she'll reveal everything, down to her favorite underwear color!"
"...That level of detail isn't quite needed."
"Rest assured, leave it to me."
Cocolia, wearing a sycophantic smile, dragged the still-dazed Jackal away.
With Zeke establishing the new base, the living conditions for the orphanage residents significantly improved, allowing Cocolia to assist and adopt even more orphans.
At this moment, Cocolia was brimming with enthusiasm.
Soon, Cocolia and Jackal disappeared from view.
Zeke's gaze shifted towards the quietly standing Raven.
"Although much of what you shared overlaps with the information extracted from Gray Serpent's memories, you indeed provided significant details about the World Serpent. Now, tell me, what do you desire?"
Raven wrung her fingers nervously. After a moment, fearing Zeke's impatience, she swiftly gathered her thoughts and knelt on one knee, saying:
"Sir Zeke, I wish to continue living."
"That can be arranged. I never intended to kill you anyway."
Though a simple response, it allowed most of the tension that had gripped Raven for so long to finally ease.
Zeke was known for keeping his promises. From Raven's observations over these past few days, he rarely made commitments, but whenever he did, he never broke them.
"I also want to stay here. I don't wish to fight anymore; just being a maid would suffice. Is that possible?" Raven further articulated her request.
After years with the World Serpent, she had grown accustomed to navigating the shadows, her hands stained with blood. However, habit does not equate to preference.
No one enjoys living under constant threat, and at least for Raven, she didn't relish it; she simply had no other choice.
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Zeke considered her plea before responding:
"But I've heard your cooking is quite terrible?"
"...I'll overcome it. As for other household chores, I've already earned Seele's approval."
"In principle, I don't oppose it. As long as they're not just freeloading, adding more people isn't an issue. However, there is one thing I need to remind you about."
"Please go ahead," Raven responded respectfully and obediently, her head bowed.
Zeke snapped his fingers.
"Snap!"
With a crisp sound, Raven felt a sudden numbness in her abdomen, eliciting an involuntary groan.
Looking down at her, Zeke spoke without any emotion, "The device filling your abdominal cavity is my worker bee robot. Although it has been detached from the Hive System, it remains under my control. If you choose to leave, I can relinquish that control. But if you decide to stay, it will remain indefinitely. Do you understand what this implies?"
"I do, and I won't disappoint you, Sir Zeke."
"Well then, that concludes our discussion. Be cautious with your words and actions; take care of yourself here. Lastly, may you find the life you seek."
Zeke stood up, slung his greatsword over his back, patted Raven on the shoulder, and left the room.
After a long moment, Raven, still alone, rose from her kneeling position. Gazing at the empty room, she suddenly smiled.
"The life I seek?"
Raven whispered softly and shook her head.
Her choices had always been limited. Simply being able to serve as a maid was already rare fortune; what more could she ask for?
Through her clothing, Raven gently touched her cold, hard abdomen, then glanced at the restraint bracelet on her wrist, feeling an unusual sense of comfort.
Yes, her life now hung by Zeke's whim alone.
But this vulnerability also offered protection. As long as she remained obedient, who would casually kill a useful servant completely under their control?
It wasn't much different during her time with the World Serpent. Back then, she had no clear understanding of the contingencies Gray Serpent and Jackal had placed upon her. She only knew that defection equaled death, nothing more.
Raven maintained a positive outlook. From her observations, most people within Anti-Entropy weren't truly bad individuals. Going forward, it seemed she genuinely wouldn't need to dance amidst danger anymore—her circumstances have drastically changed.
This good mood persisted until she stepped outside and saw Seele smiling at her.
"Druya-onee, look! I made you new clothes! Inspired by Rita-neesan's design, they'll definitely suit you perfectly!"
"...Natasha Cioara—that's my name. Just call me Cioara from now on. And about these clothes, why do I feel like this isn't a typical maid outfit?"
"Huh? How so? They're clearly very stylish and will accentuate Druya—uh, Cioara-neesan's best features!"
Cioara hesitated.
But Seele's sparkling eyes filled with eager anticipation were hard to resist.
Moreover, peeking around the corner, Kiana, Bronya, Sin, Rozaliya, Liliya—all had their heads half-hidden, openly spying without any attempt at subtlety.
Even Wendy, usually more reserved, and Raiden Mei joined them, along with Tesla who blended right in, all casting subtle glances her way that seemed somewhat mischievous.
To clarify, most people here aren't truly bad, but there's certainly no shortage of peculiar characters!