"Hissss—"
Inside multiple sealed liquid metal tanks, fibrous remnants of flesh floated, being completely digested by potent decomposing fluids into murky sludge. With the release of air pressure, accompanied by a hissing sound, the chambers emptied themselves, leaving them spotlessly clean.
"Thud! Thud!"
Hera gently tapped on the specially crafted glass window of the cabin, gazing at the empty experimental tank, and slowly sighed.
"As expected, Soulium isn't meant to serve as insurance; it cannot prevent the runaway mutation of Honkai Beast genes. Zeke brought it into the lab without any incidents throughout the process, but afterward, the Soulium vanished mysteriously. If not used for protection, there's only one possibility..."
"Zeke has already integrated the Soulium into his body," the golden-haired man added softly, hands clasped behind his back.
Hera turned to face him, their eyes locking onto each other. After a moment, both placed their hands on their foreheads and looked away simultaneously.
"It's indeed quite disorienting to use two bodies at once!" × 2
This was the result of their research on Gray Serpent's consciousness network. Originally, even Otto could theoretically control multiple bodies concurrently, but achieving complete synchronization proved difficult and consumed considerable mental energy.
Now, with Gray Serpent filling in the final missing piece, Otto had successfully achieved consciousness networking, enabling him to effortlessly synchronize and drive all his bodies without strain.
So despite having two distinct forms, Hera and Otto were essentially the same person, sharing a single interconnected consciousness.
"Director Otto."
"Yes?" came two replies simultaneously—one male, one female.
This unexpected response momentarily disconcerted Amber, typically composed and unflappable, leaving her feeling unusually at a loss.
"Uh, the underground base of the Far East Branch has been emptied."
"Oh? Who did it? Is Lady Theresa aware of what happened?" Otto calmly inquired.
Meanwhile, Hera operated the computer, meticulously examining the series of experimental data from before to conduct further analysis and verification.
Glancing briefly at Hera's back, Amber addressed Otto: "It was the Hive System, likely Sir Zeke's doing. As for Lady Theresa, she is still unaware."
"That's fine," Otto replied nonchalantly.
Truth be told, aside from wanting to study Gray Serpent's consciousness network, another reason for capturing him was his significance to Zeke.
Let's not forget that the Hive System itself is already a vast interconnected network. Once Zeke cracks Gray Serpent's consciousness network, Otto had no doubt that the Hive System would undergo a significant upgrade.
In such a scenario, during their next encounter, each worker bee could potentially become an appendage connected to Zeke's consciousness—a terrifying enhancement even Otto struggled to fully comprehend.
After becoming a MANTIS, Zeke had effectively overcome his final physical limitations. Although he still fell short in various aspects, he had now become a formidable opponent worthy of Otto's full attention.
As adversaries, striking opportunistically to hinder each other's progress seemed only natural, didn't it?
Zeke clearly understood this as well, willingly handing over Gray Serpent without any objections. In such cases, reciprocating gestures is expected etiquette.
It was just a production base for extracting Schariac holy blood; if Zeke desired it, giving it to him posed no issue.
"I believe I can now grasp Zeke's condition quite well." Hera suddenly lifted her head and let out a long sigh.
Otto stroked his chin, expressing astonishment: "With Benares serving as the foundation for gene harmonization, Zeke possesses traits from both half-Herrschers and Honkai Beasts—nearly invincible immortality and regenerative capabilities, compatibility with multiple Herrscher Cores, and by integrating Soulium into his body, achieving physical equilibrium and enhanced resilience to Honkai Energy..."
"All these puzzle pieces fit together, resulting in..."
"The Key of Blankness!" they said simultaneously.
Otto and Hera exchanged glances, revealing nearly identical expressions of delighted smiles.
The "Key of Blankness," the masterpiece of Mei, the greatest scientist from the previous era, could accommodate all Herrscher Cores without embedding any specific one.
Moreover, unlike regular Divine Keys that can only harness partial Herrscher power, whoever wields the "Key of Blankness" effectively becomes a fully realized Herrscher as long as their body can withstand it!
"So, he had asked me for the Gem of Desire quite early on. Now, he's also gathered the Gem of Conquest around him, and even... the core of the Herrscher of the Void."
"He started planning back then. If this were now, I would never have allowed him to obtain any gemstones. With uncertainty about how many cores he can simultaneously integrate, each additional core creates a dimensional leap in threat level."
"I finally understand his intentions, but it's too late. Multiple gemstones have already converged upon him. Should he go all-in—Zeke with control over three gemstones is fundamentally different from Sirin wielding six cores."
"Zeke will be stronger because he knows how to wield such power. Moreover, it's evident that Zeke considered compatibility issues with the Divine Keys; Benares' characteristics provide the optimal solution to mitigate their side effects."
"Three Herrscher Cores and two Divine Keys, yet he remains unsatisfied. He even tracked down my old friend; it's unclear how far he has mastered Taixuan Sword Qi and Inch Heart Fist Technique, but undoubtedly, he's achieved significant progress."
"Oh, almost forgot—Zeke also possesses the Herrscher of Reason Core as part of his arsenal, making him even more formidable."
"No wonder he let me take Gray Serpent so easily. He doesn't care about upgrading the Hive System at all; he himself is the greatest threat."
Otto and Hera exchanged remarks, outlining Zeke's comprehensive scheme. Their tone subtly conveyed keen interest, bordering on excitement, with no hint of fear.
Then, Otto turned to Amber and asked, "By the way, where is Welt now?"
"Based on the latest intelligence, he's currently in the Far East. Judging by his direction of travel, it seems he intends to head towards Saint Freya Academy."
"Saint Freya? Theresa?" Otto furrowed his brow.
If Saint Freya was indeed his destination, Otto could only think of one possibility. Aside from his adorable granddaughter, there shouldn't be much else there that would pique Welt's interest, right?
"Director Otto, how should we proceed?"
"Hmm, let me think... It's been quite some time since I last had afternoon tea with Theresa, hasn't it?"
"To be precise, it was five years ago, Director Otto."
"Five years already... Perfect timing! Let's introduce little Teresita to Cecilia's distant aunt while giving me a chance to embrace her again after so long—two birds with one stone!"
Hera gracefully twirled, her elegant red dress swirling in the air like that of an innocent young princess.
"Do you think little Teresita will allow me to hug her this way?"
"If you visit as Aunt Cecilia, undoubtedly, Lady Theresa won't resist too much."
"Then it's settled. We'll bring Rita and Durandal along as well. After all, when the current Schariac family head travels, she must have her maid and knight by her side."
Smiling, Hera confidently finalized her role for the upcoming encounter.