Schicksal HQ
Upon receiving the communication request from Aaron, Amber, as Otto's secretary, naturally could not ignore it.
Although she was well aware that the relationship between Otto and Aaron was not as 'harmonious' as it appeared to the outside world, refusing a call initiated by the other party at such a time would be inappropriate no matter how one looked at it.
Therefore, after confirming Otto's intent with a glance, Amber calmed her mind slightly and connected Aaron's call.
"Miss Amber, this is Aaron, Branch Chief of the Oceania Branch. I have an important matter to report to Overseer Otto."
"May I ask if it is convenient for the Overseer to meet with me today?"
Hearing his words, Amber immediately replied with immense composure.
"Overseer Otto is currently occupied with important matters and cannot spare the time. If Branch Chief Aaron has anything to report, please relay it directly to me."
"Once Overseer Otto has finished his work, I will convey this important message to him immediately."
"Hah... busy... let me see."
"The online ranking points for Kallen Fantasy haven't refreshed, so what exactly is he busy with?"
Upon hearing this, Otto, who was sitting beside Amber, instantly froze.
It couldn't be helped; the monitor in front of Otto was indeed displaying the gameplay screen of Kallen Fantasy.
It was just that Otto had paused the game before Amber answered the call.
Although this was a trivial matter, the feeling of being seen through still made Otto feel quite uncomfortable.
*That brat, where on earth does he get this grapevine news...*
*Fine, the fact that I like playing Kallen Fantasy can be inferred from certain details.*
*However, I still cannot let my guard down.*
*That sentence seemed like a casual tease, but it might actually carry the implication of 'I know exactly what you are doing'.*
*Is this a warning?*
"Ha, just kidding. The Lord Overseer attends to a myriad of affairs every day; how could he possibly have nothing better to do than refresh high scores?"
"Since he's not available, I'll keep this short. The mysterious organization known as World Serpent, which holds the Second Divine Key, has just welcomed back their Liege, the warrior Kevin, at Haiyuan City."
"Regarding the warrior Kevin's strength and related intelligence, Overseer Otto should have a rough understanding through analyzing the Soulium left behind from the Previous Era over these hundreds of years, so I won't elaborate. Besides, Branch Chief Theresa and Captain Durandal will likely report on these matters later."
"What I want to say is that after his return, Kevin will begin preparing for Project Stigma. I do not know if Overseer Otto is aware of the intelligence regarding Project Stigma, but I can assert that this project will one hundred percent threaten all of humanity."
"I will transmit the data to Schicksal HQ's intelligence department shortly. I imagine that Overseer Otto, as a man who cares for the world, will know how to act after reviewing this data."
After saying these words, Aaron hung up the phone on his own initiative before Amber could ask for further details.
"Lord Overseer, this..."
Seeing the look of confusion on Amber's face, Otto frowned slightly.
"Don't overthink it. Let's wait for Aaron to send the intelligence over first."
"The warrior Kevin... one of the eight warriors who faced the Finality fifty thousand years ago... No, he should have been the strongest one at that time."
"A powerhouse of the same status as my old friend, suddenly appearing now and becoming the leader of an organization... *Sigh*, if what Aaron said is true, then this does make me feel a bit troubled."
As someone who had witnessed Fu Hua's full power, Otto knew very well that if one or two more veterans of Fu Hua's caliber were to pop up, they could truly change the geopolitical landscape of the world.
Even when heavily injured, Fu Hua could achieve a limit-breaking strike capable of critically wounding a Herrscher by burning her memories.
And as the strongest individual who fought the Finality back then, the warrior Kevin surely possessed power above even that.
His old friend was cooperating with him now simply because she had a weakness after being heavily injured and had to rely on Otto to protect Shenzhou.
But the warrior Kevin... he didn't seem to have such weaknesses. Naturally, Otto couldn't treat him with the same attitude he used for Fu Hua.
"Lord Overseer, this is the data sent by Branch Chief Aaron."
After handing the terminal to Otto, Amber said nothing more, choosing to remain silent and let Otto judge the data for himself.
"Hmm... Project Stigma. To think it is such a radical plan."
Aware of 'Project Ember', Otto frowned deeply as he finished reading through Project Stigma and began to ponder his next course of action.
First, one point had to be affirmed: Otto did not fully trust this plan.
The source of the intelligence was Aaron, after all, and the relationship between Aaron and Otto...
*Heh, Otto didn't even dare to meet him; how could he fully trust Aaron regarding intelligence?*
But at the same time, in Otto's eyes, the probability of Aaron lying about intelligence was low.
Judging from Aaron's actions during this period, Otto judged him to be a genuinely 'good person'.
He would take risks to save others, and to save even more people, he would choose to compromise with Otto, whom he disliked, and join Schicksal.
The purpose of such a person's actions, plainly speaking, had always been to save more people. If Kevin's [Project Stigma] were to be launched, the humanity Aaron wanted to protect...
*Oh, the concept of humanity wouldn't even exist at that time, so there would be nothing left to protect.*
Under these circumstances, the fact that Aaron couldn't help but tell Otto the intelligence actually fit his image in Otto's eyes.
Moreover, there was another reason Otto believed Aaron—this plan was simply too absurd.
Because the plan was so absurd, Otto felt that a normal person couldn't have written such a thing even if they were trying to fool someone.
*Hmph, the warrior Kevin... If he launches Project Stigma, my plan is completely finished.*
*What I desire is Kallen's resurrection...*
*—But that does not mean I do not care about the world after Kallen is resurrected.*
*If Kallen is successfully resurrected, how sorrowful would she be if she saw that humanity had been completely wiped out because of Kevin's [Project Stigma]?*
*No, she would be more than just sorrowful.*
*Before she died, Kallen protected the people as a Saintess. Even when her body was weak at the very end, she chose to use her own body to block the Honkai Beast's attack for the people.*
*Being so holy and brave, if she knew of this plan, she would definitely choose to turn against her ancestor, Kevin.*
*Of course, that is something that would only happen if Kallen encounters Kevin after her resurrection.*
*But in any case, this plan is too radical. I cannot allow such a plan to succeed.*
*Let's verify the authenticity of this intelligence first, and then take action based on its truthfulness.*
*But thinking about it this way, I feel the probability of Aaron deceiving me is even lower.*
*Ha, he took the initiative to tell me this intelligence just to drag me into the water as well.*
*Aaron definitely doesn't know that my true goal is to resurrect Kallen.*
*But even if he doesn't know this and views me as a common ambitious schemer, I cannot allow Kevin and his organization to execute that kind of plan in this world.*
*After all, once this plan is completed, the very concept of humanity will vanish into nothingness. Under such circumstances, as the Overseer of Schicksal, I would inevitably be implicated as well.*
*Just like the actions of those two little Herrscher girls before, this is another open conspiracy.*
*Even if I know Aaron might be using me and dragging me down, I still must act.*
*Because if Kevin and World Serpent's existence is real, they will inevitably interfere with Schicksal's operations.*
*And if these people interfere with Schicksal's operations, naturally, I cannot let them off.*
* coupled with the special nature of Project Stigma, unless Kevin abandons Project Stigma, there is no possibility of reconciliation between Schicksal and World Serpent.*
*No, wait.*
*Thinking this way is too radical.*
*My goal is to resurrect Kallen.*
*Kallen's resurrection is the grand prerequisite for everything that follows.*
*And although World Serpent has lost the Key of the Void, the beacon for the Key of the Void... might still be in their hands.*
*To complete my plan, I must secure the beacon of the Key of the Void.*
*Looking at it this way, the maneuvering when the time comes will be crucial.*
*Hmph, that brat Aaron wants to lead me by the nose.*
*Let's look at the reports from Durandal and Theresa first.*
*Since that brat Aaron stated that Kevin returned in Haiyuan City, it means they either participated in that battle or saw Aaron and the warrior Kevin.*
*In any case, I can make a judgment based on what they saw and their demeanor regarding Aaron and Kevin.*
"Amber, when will Bianka and Theresa return to Schicksal HQ?"
"Lord Overseer, in about two hours... Furthermore, Lady Theresa indicated that she has matters to attend to, so she is sending Major Murata to Schicksal HQ to report in her stead."
"Hah... that girl is still like that."
After shaking his head with a bitter smile, Otto spoke helplessly.
"Have them come to report to me immediately after they return to Schicksal HQ."
*I'd like to see what medicine Aaron is selling in his gourd this time.*
*If it turns out he isn't lying... Hmph, World Serpent, then I cannot let you off.*
*I must get my hands on the beacon. And after acquiring the beacon that might be in your possession, there will be no need for this organization to exist.*
*Your actions might interfere with my plan to resurrect Kallen. I won't think of moving against you before Kallen is resurrected.*
*But after my plan succeeds and Kallen is successfully resurrected...*
*Ha, after the plan succeeds, the contingencies I've left behind should be enough to deal with these fellows... right?*
At this moment, Otto thought of the final step of the plan, and a self-deprecating smile suddenly appeared on his face.
Because he realized that even with those plans he left for the end, he might still need Aaron's assistance to stably suppress World Serpent.
*But thinking carefully, if I haven't misjudged him, a person like Aaron definitely wouldn't sit back and let World Serpent execute this plan either.*
*Ha, when the time comes, he will think of a way to deal with those matters...*
*—There is no need for me to think so much about it now.*
*Right, I don't need to think about what comes after at all right now.*
*Completing that plan, resurrecting Kallen—apart from this, I don't need to think about anything else.*
*Once Theresa obtains the contingencies I've left behind, combined with Aaron's power, dealing with a World Serpent should be more than enough.*
*Now, let me think about how to get the beacon of the Key of the Void from the warrior Kevin's hands.*
.......................
Near the Mariana Trench
After finishing the transmission of the data he had organized long ago, Aaron tossed the communicator back into his storage space.
The data and intelligence he sent to Otto were all real—although that old bastard certainly wouldn't fully trust Aaron, Otto shouldn't be stupid enough to completely ignore the 'warning' Aaron issued through the intelligence.
Otto didn't know that Aaron was already aware of his 'true plan', but thinking from the perspective of the Overseer of Schicksal, Otto couldn't possibly allow World Serpent to execute this plan.
As long as Otto was guarded against World Serpent, Aaron's goal would be achieved.
As a teammate, that bastard Otto... was definitely unreliable.
Just look at the unlucky Fu Hua; how many times had she been pitted by him throughout the main story?
All of Otto's actions were for himself. Even the resurrection of Kallen carried the implication of 'compensating for Otto's own regrets'.
So when cooperating with Otto, Aaron wouldn't deem it excessive to have eight hundred ulterior motives in mind.
But at the same time, precisely because Otto was such a self-centered person, he couldn't tolerate the existence of World Serpent threatening his five-hundred-year obsession.
Aaron had already conveyed the proposal for Project Stigma and Kevin's attitude.
As for how Otto would treat World Serpent later, that would depend on the subsequent situation of the war.
Judging by the beacon, which Otto absolutely had to obtain, Otto's attitude toward World Serpent might not be too terrible at the start.
But his initial attitude only represented his attitude at that moment.
Otto's attitude toward Fu Hua was good enough, yet when the critical moment arrived, didn't he still mimic the Judgment of Shamash and shoot her directly in the forehead?
After knowing World Serpent's plan, Otto would inevitably bury a hundred and eighty contingencies to target World Serpent.
Even if his plan was destined for the 'Fool to welcome the dusk', he would still do these things.
After all, he cared deeply about Theresa.
Even knowing he might have no future, Otto would still do this follow-up work for Theresa...
*Thinking about it carefully, my way of thinking is getting closer and closer to Otto's.*
*He is using others' emotions, ready to torment Kiana at any time.*
*And I... am using his affection for Theresa to make him prepare contingencies against World Serpent.*
*Ha, I am using an old man's love for his granddaughter.*
*Just when exactly did I...*
*Become such a hateful person?*