Vill-V snorted coldly at Odin, whose face looked no different from a steel mask. "Where's your horse? I haven't even seen your horse yet, and you're already chickening out?"
"Daughter of Humanity? That's right, I'm the Child of Humanity, the granddaddy known throughout Teyvat as the Traveler. What does the Heavenly Principles amount to? I can usurp that thing whenever I feel like it."
Vill-V deliberately adopted an overbearing tone.
Vill-V could tell that if she did not put on a forceful front against the man before her, he would immediately attack.
Just like before.
Following Pardo's Threatening Words Plan was actually the most appropriate choice.
Since I'm going to threaten him, I have no choice but to bring up a certain open-world game.
Vill-V spoke with pride and arrogance. "I've got a two-character anime-style open-world mobile game installed on my phone, so don't mess with me!"
Fine. In truth, Vill-V merely wanted to test how substantial this whole "stable worldline" business really was. If Odin became enraged, then the worldline controlled by the Herrscher of Death was not much to speak of after all.
Whether Odin had understood her or not, he nodded. "My earlier discourtesy was merely another test of your identity. The fact that you were able to unravel the runes has already confirmed who you are."
Vill-V glanced at Pardo beside her, whose expression was fierce despite her whole body trembling.
Little Pardo was obviously the one who unraveled the runes, okay? What does that have to do with me, Vill-V?
You're piling gold onto my face so enthusiastically that I'm almost embarrassed.
Odin noticed Vill-V's subtle expression and said, "If you wish to claim that the little girl merely happened to throw out a silver coin and accidentally freed you, I cannot possibly accept an event with such infinitesimal probability as mere coincidence."
Sorry, but infinitesimal coincidences are perfectly normal when they happen to Pardo, darling of Lady Luck.
Compared with those two god-tier monsters, I'm nothing.
"Daughter of Alaya inherently possesses the possibility of manipulating low-probability events. After all, she is that one's vessel in the mortal world."
Even setting probability aside, there's still Seele, the Herrscher of Death who can manipulate worldlines, right here in this city.
In the future, she'll even be known as the Daughter of the Sea. Could the Daughter of Humanity you're looking for actually be her?
At that thought, Vill-V decided to redirect the target pointed at Seele onto herself instead.
"Yep, yep, that's right. I did all of it!"
Seeing Odin remain so "obstinately mistaken," Vill-V was actually delighted. As long as they did not have to fight, that was good enough. The martial world was not all about fighting and killing.
Although Vill-V also wanted to imitate Heavenly Emperor Ye and shout, "Come, battle me!" carving out a path to enlightenment through slaughter before becoming invincible throughout the cosmos.
The Honkai world was also one where the biggest fist got the final say. Just look at those scientists. How many of them ever got their moment in the spotlight? They could only obediently stay behind the scenes and advise the protagonists, and if their luck was bad, they might even have to die a few times.
Unfortunately, her skinny arms and legs simply did not support such ambitions.
Of course, if the other side were a pushover, Vill-V would definitely strike hard. If violence could solve the problem, she would never waste time talking.
Too wicked. Time to draw the blazing blade.
Although Odin remained expressionless, the corner of his eye seemed to twitch.
Apparently, he had not expected Vill-V to suddenly admit everything so decisively.
Yet just then, another change occurred in what had already become a stable situation.
In the middle of the area where only Odin and Vill-V had been negotiating, a gunshot suddenly rang out.
The previously calm atmosphere shattered in an instant.
The members of the Mobile Response Force suddenly launched an attack on Vill-V.
Judging from their agitated expressions, there was no trace left of their previous devotion.
Their earlier respectful etiquette seemed to have been nothing but an act.
The officer who had been curled up on the ground suddenly stood and said coldly, "It seems your sincerity is still insufficient if you intend to resort to such petty tricks. I advise you not to anger me. Otherwise, the consequences will be beyond anything you can imagine."
He even raised a weapon that looked unmistakably high-tech and fired straight at Pardo's forehead.
"Eek!"
Feeling a sudden chill run down her spine, Pardo let out a startled cry. With no time to dodge, she immediately wrapped her arms tightly around Vill-V's waist and neck, practically coiling her entire body around her.
Pardo squeezed her eyes shut and prayed for good luck to protect her.
But when she opened them again the next second, she saw a pair of enormous, sturdy steel wings spread wide, completely enveloping both of them.
"Forget good luck for a moment, Pardo. I'm about to suffocate to death."
Vill-V helplessly pried apart Pardo's "chokehold" as she spoke.
Although Pardo was small in stature, she was stronger than an ordinary adult. As expected of a habitual thief from Dusk Street. Your average street thug would absolutely be no match for her.
"Ah, ah... Oh? Huh?" Only then did Pardo react. She touched her neck and body. "Vill-V, I'm not dead."
"Relax. Even if I die, you won't."
Vill-V planted her hands on her hips. Her face had already turned purple from lack of air.
The steel wings folded away, allowing Pardo to see the scene outside once more.
Except now, that scene looked particularly ridiculous.
The members of the Mobile Response Force no longer possessed even a trace of their previous valiant, imposing demeanor.
"Treasure! The legendary treasure! Ha, found it!"
"These bastards actually went back on their word and ambushed me!"
"Using spells on ordinary civilians like this is already a crime! I'm definitely reporting you to the proper authorities!"
"My God, what... what kind of magic is this? What did you do to that poor little fellow?"
Some had begun digging at the ground, some were babbling nonsense, and others were fleeing in terror.
In short, not a single one of them was acting normally.
"Vill-V, what's wrong with them now?"
"Mm. That's what happens when psychiatric patients escape from the psychiatric hospital. They probably thought they were doing just great, so they stopped taking their medicine," Vill-V said.
Hearing Vill-V's explanation, Pardo scratched her head. "Huh? But that doesn't make sense. Brother Su told me the Mobile Response Force is the fiercest military unit in this city. What kind of army hires psychiatric patients?"
There was nothing wrong with Pardo's intelligence. Although the Mobile Response Force consisted largely of soldiers mass-produced using military neural implant chips, that also meant they possessed a higher-than-average psychological compatibility with such implants.
After all, Heliopolis Life Sciences hardly wanted the soldiers they had spent enormous sums training to turn into cyberpsychos within a few days, then deliver a cannon blast of proletarian justice straight into company property while they were at it.
Yet now, this group looked little different from cyberpsychos.
"You'd better ask the guy you brought here about that."
Odin might ignore Pardo's questions, but he would not ignore Vill-V's.
"You already know that we are GDO, meaning the National Boundary Guardian. In truth, we were originally called simply Boundary Guardian. We only added the word National in front to make the organization sound more official."
"So then, what exactly do you think the boundary we guard is?"
That counter-question stumped Pardo. Pardo was no little detective. Although she had uncovered countless mysteries and could even solve Magician's riddles, that had been entirely due to luck.
Odin naturally did not expect her to answer his question.
"It is the boundary of humanity."