"In that case, I won't be polite—how about those two S-rank Valkyries behind you?"
Elias smiled as he looked at Durandal and Rita. This was indeed his top request. Unfortunately...
"Hahaha~ You're such a joker, Elias. Durandal and Rita are two of my most trusted operatives. If they joined you, this helpless little Overseer might just be taken out by a certain Herrscher of Reason the very next day."
Otto let out a dry laugh and shook his head.
Compared to weapons or armor, losing someone like Durandal—a top-tier combat asset—was absolutely something he had to avoid. His exaggeration wasn't far off.
Schicksal would go from being the world's dominant force... to second or even third place.
Otto: "Durandal is non-negotiable... At most, you can have Rita."
Elias: "Tch, so stingy. Fine, I'll take her."
Rita: "???"
At that moment, the queen of the fridge stood frozen in shock. She had just witnessed her superior finalize her "transfer" with a teenage boy—a situation she couldn't wrap her head around.
Were these two even trying to be polite?!
"Lord Overseer, I object!"
Durandal immediately stepped forward in protest.
"Durandal..."
Rita was deeply moved. Seeing her reliable captain stand up for her brought tears to her eyes. Truly, Durandal would never abandon her.
Unfortunately, this innocent, pure-hearted goose—as powerful as she might be in combat—was now facing a world-class con man!
"Ahem, Durandal, let me explain. This isn't what you think. It's not a mere personnel trade."
"What is it, then?"
"It's... a covert infiltration mission. Yes, that's it! Our last operative, Fu Hua, was compromised. Now Schicksal needs someone to continue this dangerous mission. As a professional S-rank Valkyrie, I believe Rita is the perfect candidate."
Otto spoke with total conviction, spinning the story without even blinking.
And he actually managed to fool Durandal.
The big white goose tilted her head adorably.
"Eh, is that so? If it's a mission, then it can't be helped. I believe Rita will do great."
"Durandal..."
Rita was on the verge of tears. She felt like her whole world had collapsed.
You of all people should know what kind of man Otto is! You can't trust a single punctuation mark that comes out of his mouth! Wait—am I really being given away like this?
She was an S-rank Valkyrie, dammit!
Was her presence really this disposable?
"Rita, good luck! Be careful on your mission!"
Durandal clenched her fist in a supportive gesture. Even with her memory loss, her eyes still shone with the bright, lovable earnestness passed down through the Kaslana bloodline.
"...Understood. Rita acknowledges the assignment."
Poor Rita nodded bitterly.
Then she noticed Elias waving at her with a smile, gesturing for her to come over.
She gripped her scythe tighter, silently scanning everyone present except Durandal. If my scythe were just a little sharper, if my DPS was just a bit higher, I swear I'd slice all of you down...
But in the end, she resigned herself to her fate, walking over to Elias and taking her place at his side.
Thus, the S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal had been successfully and publicly "planted" as a spy—in the most pitiful, blatant way possible.
"Miss Rita, you can cheer up a little. We treat our people very well at St. Freya Academy."
"Heh... haha... thank you for your concern. If there is anything I can assist with in the future, please do not hesitate to command me."
"You really don't have to be so down. Look on the bright side: sure, you lost Durandal, but we still have Theresa. Plus, you no longer have to be his black-gloved lackey. You can focus on being a proper Valkyrie—and a (not so) proper maid."
"!!!"
Rita blinked in a daze.
Wait... that kind of made sense?
While she might not be able to fight alongside Durandal for a while, St. Freya Academy did have the world's cutest Theresa.
And she wouldn't have to do Otto's dirty work anymore. No more cleaning up blood and corpses in the name of "maid duty." From now on, she might actually get to do real housekeeping.
Huh...
Suddenly, the future looked a lot brighter!
"I understand now, Lord Elias. Thank you for the enlightenment."
"Don't mention it. And it looks like our dorm chores will finally have a designated handler. Nice~"
Elias patted Rita gently on the shoulder, smiling.
"My friend, your rhetoric is quite impressive."
Otto raised a brow in admiration. He hadn't expected much from Rita's loyalty, but even so, he hadn't expected Elias to sway her so quickly.
"Ahem! Now that you've got Rita, shouldn't you hand over the Cosmic Juggernaut beacon?"
"Hah? What are you talking about? And when did we become friends? Please don't get overly familiar with me, Overseer Otto Apocalypse."
"Heh~ fine, Elias. But backtracking isn't very becoming, you know. Didn't we agree—"
Otto tapped the table with his finger, his expression turning dangerous. But Elias cut him off coldly.
"We never agreed. I asked for two S-rank Valkyries. You only gave me one. But I'll allow you to pay for the second by other means."
"Tch. You know, there's a saying in Shenzhou: 'The heart is never satisfied.' Don't get too greedy, boy."
Otto showed clear irritation.
He had suffered more losses today than in the past several centuries combined. For someone like Otto, who always won and made others pay the price, this was extremely uncomfortable.
Elias tossed the beacon lightly and caught it again.
"Didn't someone say last chapter that I could make Otto Apocalypse bleed? Since you gave me permission, I couldn't possibly disappoint you, now could I?"
"Hmph. Hmphahaha~ Fine, fine. Tell me what else you want. But let me remind you, Elias, my patience does have a limit."
Otto let out a few deep laughs.
His demeanor made even Welt break out in a cold sweat. The ominous pressure radiating from him was unmistakable.
But at the same time, Welt felt deep respect for Elias.
He knew that if he were in Elias' shoes, he would never have handled the situation so smoothly. He would have already caved and traded the beacon.
But that was exactly Otto's plan.
That anger and laughter had been pure acting.
He was banking on no one knowing just how crucial the beacon was to him. By pretending he had reached his limit, he hoped to trick Elias into backing off, thinking he'd pushed too far.
After all, if given the choice, no one wanted to fall out with Otto Apocalypse.
Unfortunately for him, the boy in front of him wasn't Welt.
It was Elias—someone who knew exactly how important the Cosmic Juggernaut beacon was.
Elias: "Trying to bluff me into backing down with that? Otto, you're dreaming. I already said you'd bleed today, and I meant it."
A glint of greed flashed in the boy's eyes.
"I want the core you're still holding."
"Hmph. The Gem of Desire, huh? Elias, you don't seriously think that just because you can wield the Gem of Serenity, you can handle a second Herrscher Core. Careful you don't play with fire and get burned."
Otto snorted coldly, though the demand hadn't surprised him. It only frustrated him that now, he would truly be left without a single Herrscher Core.
"That's not your concern, Otto."
"Very well. I'll have it sent immediately."
"No rush. Actually, there's one more thing I want. I'll give you a choice between two... though you're also welcome to give me both."
A sly look flashed across Elias' eyes, catching Otto slightly off guard. This boy was greedier than he had anticipated.
And... it had been centuries since anyone dared give Otto Apocalypse a multiple-choice question. It piqued his interest.
"Oh? And what else do you want?"
"The First Divine Key in your possession—the Key of Revelation, Void Archives. I want it."
Elias didn't hesitate for even a moment.
"...Well now, that's certainly unexpected."
Otto raised a brow, genuinely surprised.
He retrieved a golden-glowing cube from his coat—the Void Archives.
Crafted from the core of the Previous Era's Herrscher of Reason, this Divine Key could replicate any weapon or tool whose structure the user understood—even other Divine Keys, though at far less power.
Its true value lay not in combat, but in the nearly infinite archive of knowledge stored within—scientific data from the Previous Era civilizations.
It was thanks to the Void Archives that Otto had pushed Schicksal's technological edge far ahead of the world, outpacing even Anti-Entropy with their geniuses like Einstein and Tesla.
"I must say, I'm curious. Why the sudden interest in my Divine Key?"
"Is that really a question? It's a Divine Key. Of course I want it."
Elias casually tapped the fiery blade of Judgment of Shamash against the table, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
"Fair enough. A simple, honest reason."
Otto, for once, didn't doubt him. It was only natural for someone to covet a Divine Key.
But he felt Elias had made a mistake this time.
Void Archives wasn't like other Keys. It offered little in direct combat power.
(Its primary value is the preservation of knowledge. More than its replication functions, the Previous Era's technological archive is its real treasure.)
Otto smirked slightly.
He had already planned to offer Void Archives to Kevin in exchange for the Cosmic Juggernaut beacon, so giving it to Elias instead was no great loss.
(Once he realizes what Void Archives truly is, he might end up disappointed. Even if he handed it to Anti-Entropy or used it to develop St. Freya, they wouldn't pose a threat to me.)
After all, he had already backed up everything within the Archives, and his head start over the others was by decades. It would take them at least another ten years to catch up.
And by then, his long-cherished wish would already be nearing its final phase.
(This Elias kid... no, not kid anymore. He's completely outside my control now. I can't let him grow any stronger. Which is why handing over the Gem of Desire might be a terrible idea.)
Yet for some reason, Otto had a strange feeling:
If it were Elias...
He might just pull it off.
He might actually be able to wield a second Herrscher Core.
And that was something Otto felt he had to prevent.
If Otto had to name a reason not to hand over Void Archives, it would be that they had been companions for over five hundred years.
But such sentiment alone was far from enough to restrain a man of pure reason and ambition.
(Giving my old friend to Elias might even cause him some trouble.)
After all, Void Archives had its own consciousness. And having spent five centuries under Otto Apocalypse's ownership, it had undoubtedly learned a few schemes from its master.
(I look forward to seeing it. Just don't let it do to you what it almost did to me five hundred years ago.
Otto smiled with delight at the thought. He placed the glowing golden cube on the table and slid it across to Elias.
"Looks like you've made your decision, Otto."
"Yes. I'm entrusting my old friend to you. Use it well, Elias."
"Of course. Here's your beacon."
Elias tossed the Cosmic Juggernaut beacon, which Otto snatched from the air with lightning speed.
Gazing at the object he had longed for, Otto couldn't hide his excitement.
(At last! The final piece is mine. Now, all that remains is for K423 to fully awaken as the Herrscher of the Void—and that is only a matter of time.)
(My wish is finally within reach. Ah, Kallen... This time, I'll truly bring you back!)
Elias glanced at Otto again.
He couldn't help but feel a sliver of admiration.
That kind of unwavering love after five centuries... Otto truly was the god of pure love.
Don't worry, Otto. When the day comes and you try to climb the Tree, I'll be there with a camcorder recording everything. I'll even bring your character songs and play them in the background.
"It hasn't been easy, has it?"
Otto stashed the beacon within his soulium body for safekeeping. Even if he had been swindled badly today, he was still in high spirits.
Noticing Elias curiously examining Void Archives, Otto spoke up in a rare gesture of goodwill:
"Elias, would you like a few pointers on using Void Archives? I did wield it for centuries, and I've picked up a few tricks."
"Oh? Such kindness from Overseer Otto?"
"Hahaha~ What can I say? I'm in a good mood. Though let me be clear: no returns. The deal is done."
"Heh~ With how obviously you said that, it's obvious you laid a trap. But it doesn't matter... I never planned to use it as a Divine Key anyway."
Elias stared at the Void Archives in his hand and sneered. As a transmigrator, he knew exactly what its true nature was.
Otto blinked, caught off guard. Then realization struck, and his face twisted.
"Wait! Don't tell me you're planning to—!"
He instinctively reached out to stop Elias, but it was too late.
With Void Archives in his left hand and his right hand clenched into a fist, Elias struck the soulium shell of the Divine Key with all his might—wearing a smile that could only be described as mad.
BOOM!
The force of the blow shocked everyone.
Cracks spread across the surface of Void Archives.
Then, it shattered completely.
"There it is."
Elias reached into the remains and pulled out a dull, silvery-gray gem.
The Gem of Reason. The core of the Herrscher of Reason from the Previous Era.
"Such cunning... Elias, you bastard."
Otto couldn't help but grit his teeth.
"I'll take that as a compliment, Otto Apocalypse."
Elias proudly held the core aloft before embedding it into the armor of Vermilion Knight: Eclipse/Key of Blankness.
And in that moment—
The power of the Herrscher of Reason fused into him.
It differed from the current Herrscher of Reason, but Elias had nonetheless become something unprecedented:
A three-core Herrscher.
Elias: (Man... If only I had Woz here to announce it in style. That would've been perfect. What a shame~)
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