Seeing Otto's smug smile, Ming Yu felt a chill in his heart. Didn't Otto know that if those Honkai Beasts were released, the heaviest losses wouldn't be suffered by Schicksal, but by the tens of thousands of citizens in the city?
No! Of course, he knew. But so what? As long as he could save Kallen, he was willing to sacrifice himself, to sacrifice the entire world. To him, compared to Kallen, all the people in the city were worthless.
"Enough!" Ming Yu interrupted impolitely. He was truly furious. Ming Yu didn't consider himself a merciful person, but he couldn't bring himself to be so indifferent to life. To sacrifice tens of thousands of living beings for his own selfish desires was something Ming Yu could not accept.
Ultimately, Ming Yu's mindset had not yet shifted. He could scheme against others for his own benefit and could slay Honkai Zombies and Honkai Beasts without a flicker of emotion, but he couldn't treat human lives as bargaining chips, even if this was just a virtual world.
A faint smile touched Otto's lips. He wasn't angry and said calmly, "Oh? It seems Mr. Yu does not approve of my plan."
The anger on Ming Yu's face had not subsided. He said sternly, "Releasing those Honkai Beasts will endanger too many innocent people. This goes against the principles of my Mount Taixu!" Even with a raging fire in his heart, Ming Yu hadn't lost his reason. He knew he couldn't change Otto's mind on his own; only by invoking the name of Mount Taixu might he make Otto hesitate.
Otto naturally understood the subtext in Ming Yu's words: if he recklessly released the Honkai Beasts, Mount Taixu would blacklist him. But did he care? With a slight smile, Otto said in a mocking tone, "Then, what brilliant ideas does Mr. Yu have?" *Since you're unwilling to use my method, then you go deal with those Schicksal forces!*
"There is a power that can counter Schicksal's forces." Calming the fire in his heart, Ming Yu said slowly, "The... Divine... Keys..."
Seeing Otto's surprised expression, Ming Yu continued, "You should have come into contact with this kind of weapon, so you should understand the power that lies within the Divine Keys. As long as we master this power, Schicksal's forces will be no cause for concern."
When it came to the Divine Keys, Otto couldn't help but be cautious. He tapped his right fingers lightly on the tabletop to an unknown rhythm and said, "I do have such things in my possession. However, coming from Mount Taixu, you should know that not just anyone can use them. Unfortunately, I do not have anyone on hand who can use them right now."
Otto was also worried that Ming Yu was after the Divine Keys. In his eyes, even Mount Taixu couldn't remain indifferent to such power. If Mount Taixu had such intentions, things would become complicated.
Hearing the caution in Otto's voice, Ming Yu found it amusing. Waving his hand, he smiled and said, "If you're worried about Mount Taixu coveting the Divine Keys, there's no need. While my Mount Taixu may not have many Divine Keys, we don't have few either. As you said, Divine Keys require suitable wielders. For Mount Taixu, the wielder is as precious as the Divine Key itself."
In this era, Otto, having come into contact with the First Divine Key—the Key of Revelation, Void Archives—was one of the few in Schicksal who understood Divine Keys. Others merely thought they were slightly more powerful weapons and gave them no real importance. They could even claim that the Oath of Judah was their own creation without fear of being laughed at by those who knew the truth, though the fact that Judah was severely damaged was a factor.
According to Ming Yu's memory, in this period, besides the Void Archives, Otto should have two more Divine Keys on hand: Black Abyss from the Sixth Divine Key, and the Eleventh Divine Key—the Oath of Judah. But unfortunately, the wielder of Black Abyss was dead, and Kallen was locked up. Moreover, that cross was so ridiculously heavy that almost no one could move it.
There was once a saying that the Oath of Judah became Kallen's weapon because only she could lift it. While not entirely true, it spoke volumes about the terrifying weight of this Divine Key.
His right index finger tapped lightly on the desk. Otto said slowly, "The Oath of Judah. You should be aware that it is a Divine Key only Kallen can use. Its weight is not something an ordinary person can handle. I have another one in my possession. As long as you can rescue Kallen, I can give it to you." *As long as you can use it*, Otto added in his mind.
Otto was also helpless when it came to the Divine Keys. They contained immense power, yet their usage conditions were too strict, and crucially, the conditions were unknown—it was all up to chance. But as long as he could save Kallen, the Divine Keys didn't matter. He could disregard even his own life, let alone a mere Divine Key.
"I am also aware of how demanding the Divine Keys are. A weapon I cannot use is of no use to me," Ming Yu said with a hint of resignation. Being unlucky, he wasn't pinning his hopes on such a slim chance. "The key lies with the Oath of Judah. We must bring it to Kallen. For that, we need someone who can lift it, and as it happens, I have someone like that on my side. Additionally, regarding Schicksal's forces, I have a friend who is an expert in explosives. We can use them to create a disturbance and draw the attention of the Schicksal troops."
Otto's interest was piqued. He leaned forward slightly and said, "I didn't expect Mr. Yu to have such friends. That would be excellent. Please enlighten me on what exactly we should do."
Ming Yu felt a bit proud, a smile appearing on his face as he slowly laid out his plan.
After a secret discussion, the two reached a consensus. Otto stood up and said, "It is getting late. Please rest here for the night, Mr. Yu. Rolfe, please show Mr. Yu to his room."
Ming Yu nodded in agreement. He had no intention of finding a place to sleep outside; Otto's manor was luxurious, and the accommodations should be quite good.
By now, Rolfe had recovered. Due to the confidential nature of the previous conversation, he had been waiting outside the study. Hearing the summons, he quickly entered, bowed to Otto, and then led Ming Yu out.
In the quiet manor, Rolfe led the way. He could see his master's high regard for this visitor from Mount Taixu, and since Ming Yu's strength was superior to his own, he naturally wouldn't be neglectful, being very attentive along the way.
Ming Yu, on the other hand, was immersed in his recent performance, feeling that his ability to bluff was getting stronger and stronger. The Oscars owed him a little golden statuette.
Back in the study, Otto was still mulling over Ming Yu's plan. It was certainly executable, but not as foolproof as his own. At this critical juncture, Otto wouldn't oppose Ming Yu. In his view, Mount Taixu would be a good destination for Kallen; otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered scheming with Ming Yu. As for his own actions, who could control him? Ming Yu had his plans, but he had his own ideas too. As long as he could save Kallen, nothing else mattered.
Looking in the direction where Kallen was imprisoned, Otto silently made his resolve.