A chill ran through their hearts.
While the Dottores had never expected their Prime to be a paragon of virtue, witnessing this scene still sent a deep chill through them.
Even though Dottore No. 1 had shown no signs of weakness or betrayal, Dottore still distrusted him, turning instead to Dottore No. 2 for answers.
In truth, their Prime had never truly trusted them. They were all of the same kind, and only oneself could truly understand oneself.
Seeing this, Neuvillette felt a complex mix of emotions. He couldn't decide whether to pity the plight of these "Segments" or believe they deserved their fate.
Regardless, the immediate priority was to handle Dottore first.
Dottore No. 2 naturally wouldn't reveal their little secret. After dismissing the Prime with vague assurances, he turned his gaze to Neuvillette.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, we sincerely wish to break free from the Prime's control. Perhaps we've made mistakes in the past, but we implore you to grant us a chance at redemption."
"I know you don't trust us," Dottore No. 2 said, "but we're willing to prove our genuine longing for Fontaine through our efforts and time."
Dottore No. 2's words stirred Neuvillette somewhat. Despite his deep-seated loathing for Dottore, he couldn't deny the man's exceptional talent.
Just look at Dottore No. 6—how remarkable! With minimal time and ordinary materials, he had created a radar capable of tracking Dottore Variants.
Neuvillette had already investigated the radar's most recent target: a secret laboratory. Inside, he found a giant gorilla that could transform into a mountain-sized behemoth when it saw the full moon, its power approaching that of an Archon.
Had he not arrived in time, Neuvillette shuddered to imagine the devastation this creature would have wrought upon Fontaine City. This triumph belonged entirely to Dottore No. 6.
After examining the laboratory's materials and records, Neuvillette was nearly certain this was the laboratory they had built. Though it was a slight disappointment not to find the original Dottore, only six locations remained to investigate. He was confident he would soon locate the "Segment" of Dottore he had glimpsed that day.
Returning to the main topic, Fontaine had recently suffered a cataclysm, leaving its talent pool severely depleted. This made him, who had previously shown little interest in the Dottores, now consider using them.
However, the risks remained difficult to manage. Currently, the only one he could somewhat trust was Dottore No. 6.
Just then, Dottore No. 6 suddenly turned to Neuvillette and declared, "Monsieur Neuvillette, he's cursing you in his mind!"
Dottore No. 2: "???"
Wait, I'm not!
But No. 2 quickly realized No. 6's intention and flew into a rage.
Damn it, you bastard!
The Dottores had been on the verge of winning Neuvillette over when Dottore No. 6's sudden outburst completely shattered their composure.
"Why are you glaring at me? Don't think you can get away with secretly cursing Monsieur Neuvillette in your mind. You can't hide anything from me!"
Dottore No. 2 glared fiercely at Dottore No. 6 before forcing a calm expression as he addressed Neuvillette.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, I wasn't thinking that way at all. He's abusing your trust to spread lies."
"Just now, I had no reason or opportunity to mentally curse Monsieur Neuvillette. I hope he won't be misled by this."
No sooner had Dottore No. 2 finished speaking than Dottore No. 6 sneered again.
"Heh, heh, heh! Afraid to own up to what you've done, are you?"
"Monsieur Neuvillette, let me tell you—it's not just him. They're all cursing you in their hearts!"
"The insults I've heard in recent days have been vile beyond belief. I shudder to think how much worse they were before they knew I could hear their thoughts!"
The Dottores were utterly disgusted, their glares raking over Dottore No. 6.
"Monsieur Neuvillette!"
"Enough. This matter ends here."
Neuvillette swiftly intervened. Whether the accusations were true or not, the issue was of little consequence to him.
Yet the Dottores sensed that Neuvillette still leaned slightly toward Dottore No. 6.
This bastard is utterly inhuman!
We're all Segments—even if we're not united, why betray us at every turn?
Born from the same root, why turn against our own kind with such cruelty?
Dottore No. N, still confined in the Black Room, insisted on speaking.
"I will capture the other Segment as quickly as possible and then address the matter of Dottore."
"In the meantime, if Dottore contacts you with any concerns, contact me immediately."
Neuvillette paused, then turned to address Dottore No. 6 directly.
"Unless there is a truly urgent matter, refrain from visiting this place."
Neuvillette worried that the recently reformed Dottore No. 6 might be led astray again by the other Segments.
"Even if you must come, inform me beforehand."
"Understood, Monsieur Neuvillette," Dottore No. 6 assured him earnestly.
"As for how to contact me, use this."
After a moment's thought, Neuvillette produced a mobile phone from his pocket and placed it in Dottore No. 6's hand.
"This device is called a mobile phone, the latest research breakthrough from the Fontaine Research Institute. It allows for effortless communication and information transfer."
"My personal number is already saved in it. Contact me directly if anything arises."
"Your radar performed admirably. I've already uncovered some crucial leads. Consider this a reward for your efforts."
Dottore No. 6 accepted the phone and repeatedly thanked Neuvillette.
The other Dottores' eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. They couldn't believe Neuvillette had entrusted Fontaine's crucial research findings to Dottore No. 6 so quickly.
They recalled their recent mockery of Dottore No. 6, claiming Neuvillette wouldn't trust him even if he acted like his dog. Now, they were slapped across the face so hard it left their cheeks swollen.
The Dottores stared at the mobile phone in Dottore No. 6's hand, their longing palpable.
Snezhnaya also had communication devices, and while their performance wasn't terrible, their bulky size made them impractical to carry.
More importantly, the phone's screen had briefly lit up, revealing functions far beyond mere long-distance communication.
The Dottores were consumed by curiosity, itching to snatch the phone from Dottore No. 6's hand and dissect it thoroughly. They wanted to understand how so many functions could be crammed into such a small, rectangular Black Box.
Wait a minute... Had Neuvillette just revealed something crucial?
Highly effective?! Could this mean Dottore No. 6 had actually succeeded?!
The Dottores, slapped in the face yet again, were dumbfounded.
How did he manage this? How did he achieve such precise positioning?!
Wait a minute... Logically, they were all essentially the same individual. Even if they couldn't immediately grasp what Dottore No. 6 understood, shouldn't they at least have some idea?
Could it be that they're all actually dumber than Dottore No. 6?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
"As long as you continue to make sufficient contributions, I will gradually grant you access to other domains of Fontaine Technology."
Dottore No. 6 readily accepted Neuvillette's empty promise.
"No problem, Monsieur Neuvillette! You can always trust me!"
Neuvillette shook his head, offering no endorsement of Dottore No. 6's statement. He then turned and slipped away in his dark-blue coat.
After Neuvillette left, Dottore No. 6 waved his mobile phone at the other Segments, a smug grin spreading across his face.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... it seems gaining access to Fontaine Technology isn't so difficult after all."
"Surely no one actually thought this was hard, right? Right?!"
Seeing Dottore No. 6's infuriatingly smug expression, the Dottores took two deep breaths to calm themselves before silently turning and leaving.
They pretended not to hear Dottore No. 6's taunts echoing behind them.
Soon, the Segments spontaneously gathered in front of The Black Room. Exchanging glances, they instantly understood each other's unspoken intentions.
Dottore No. 1 violently shoved open the door, revealing Dottore No. N to all the Segments.
Dottore No. N was about to launch into a sarcastic retort when he noticed the crowd at the doorway. A flicker of panic flashed across his face.
"What do you want?!"
The Dottores ignored him, offering only cold smiles. Dottore No. 1 brandished a familiar-looking iron pipe.
"One hit each. Don't kill him."
With that, Dottore No. 1 swung the bloodstained pipe and brought it crashing down on Dottore No. N's forehead.
Dottore No. N tried to dodge, but his movements were severely restricted. He couldn't move much at all, and the pipe landed squarely on his skull.
Duang!
What a satisfying thwack!
After striking Dottore No. N, Dottore No. 1 felt invigorated. His back no longer ached, his legs no longer hurt, and he could climb three hundred flights of stairs in one breath!
He passed the pipe to Dottore No. 2 and strode out of The Black Room.
Already dazed by the first blow, Dottore No. N was soon struck again on the forehead. The excruciating pain felt like his skull was about to explode.
Before long, Dottore No. 2 emerged from the Black Room, refreshed and invigorated.
However, for Dottore No. N, the nightmare had only just begun...-
-
In Snezhnaya, at an experimental base, Sandrone, the seventh Fatui Harbinger known as "The Marionette," was studying the latest mechanical devices. However, she found herself unable to focus, her hands freezing mid-motion every few moments.
After this happened several times, Sandrone temporarily halted her research, staring blankly into the distance.
"Rene..." she murmured softly, long-dormant memories resurfacing in her mind.
But now, these memories seemed stained with blood.
That era we shared... it's only been a few hundred years?
A complex expression flickered across Sandrone's face. She hadn't expected to hear news of Rene again.
When she thought of Rene's plan, she couldn't help but sigh softly.
"You still haven't given up, have you, Rene..."
Sandrone shook her head, then her gaze sharpened suddenly.
"But you're no longer the genius who surpassed nearly everyone else. The times have changed."
"Your failure proves that."
"Even before the Observer arrived, your plan had already collapsed completely. Your abilities were only ever this limited."
Sandrone paused, then continued.
"It seems Teyvat still needs me to save it after all."
"Just a little more... just the final touch, and it will be complete."
Sandrone's voice grew urgent, her emotions clearly running high.
This was understandable, considering she had devoted centuries to this project.
"Although the program I've created has begun to resemble human nature, there are still gaps between it and a true person."
"If I just wait a little longer..."
Sandrone shook her head and resumed her research, though her mind remained distracted.
After a moment's hesitation, she secretly dispatched agents to Fontaine to gather information on Rene and, if circumstances allowed, deliver a message to her.
With this task completed, Sandrone felt a weight lift from her chest.
"With Rene's help, we might be able to accelerate progress."
"Now that his own plans have completely failed, he'll likely agree to my proposal..."
Sandrone tried to immerse herself in her research again, but her mind still refused to focus.
A hollow ache settled in her chest, as if this work alone could never fill the vast void within her.
"Perhaps... perhaps I should go to Fontaine myself?"
The sudden thought made Sandrone restless.
Just as she rose to act on it, the massive Autonomous Mechanism behind her flickered with a crimson light in its eyes.
Instantly, Sandrone became like a puppet with severed strings, her expression blank and vacant. It took a long moment for her to regain her composure.
"No, Rene would only be an obstacle to my plans. My plan doesn't need him."
"First, I must ascertain his current status. I'll reveal myself only after I've completed the final step, then make him fully realize the vast gulf between us."
With that thought, Sandrone settled back into her seat, resuming her research and occasionally making manual adjustments.
Behind her, the Autonomous Mechanism remained still and silent, as if the earlier crimson flicker had been nothing more than an illusion...