SWNOVELXO Chapter 241: Chapter 241: Contact
"Can you keep your voice down? Can you keep your voice down? Can you keep your voice down? Huh!?"
"...Who told you to scare me first?"
"Do you even understand where we are? This is Anti-Entropy's territory! Welt Yang, do you know him? Siegfried Kaslana, do you know him? The Herrscher Squad, do you know them? One slight mistake and I'll die physically, and you'll die socially! Understand!?"
"...Sorry."
Walking through the dim space corridor, Ana's expression became somewhat subtle.
Seriously, I'm a Valkyrie of Destiny, so why do I have to apologize to a Herrscher?
Oh, right, it's to make her lower her guard so I can backstab her hard later.
Never mind then.
Ana blinked quietly, holding the chattering little head in her hands. She followed the headless puppet step by step toward the brightly lit portal ahead.
Just as they were about to leave the shadowy corridor, the head in Ana's hands suddenly stared at the feather hanging from her chest and said, seemingly out of nowhere:
"The Fenghuang Down. This is your talisman for maintaining composure, isn't it?"
"Huh?"
Ana felt a jolt in her heart.
The next second, the head broke free from her hands, grabbed the feather with its mouth, and vanished without a trace.
"Hahaha!"
"I'm dying of laughter! Absolutely dying of laughter!"
"Tell me, was this a trap, or is that Hera just that easy to manipulate?"
"Who cares! If she came to us, the reason doesn't matter!"
"Hahaha!"
"Welcome! Welcome!"
"Welcome to our Theater of Domination!"
"Now, attach your strings and dance for the Herrscher of Thousands!"
"Hahaha!"
Ana's vision suddenly brightened, transforming into a vast coliseum-like structure. She stood in the arena's center, surrounded by countless identical puppets, either standing or seated high in the audience stands.
She hadn't passed through the portal. In fact, no corridor was ever necessary. From the moment she held that head, she had already entered the Theater of Domination.
"So... you never intended to trade in the first place?"
"Trade with a five-hundred-year-old monster? Do you think we're crazy or stupid? Are we supposed to trust that monster's integrity? Or believe she'd gamble on the credibility of a group of Herrschers? How ridiculous! Hahaha!"
"Uh... give me back the feather!"
Ana clutched her chest, frowning. Her gem-like eyes began flickering between their usual violet and an unusual icy blue.
"Oh dear, poor Ana. Just separated from your feather, and you can't hold it together?"
"Pathetic!"
"Coward!"
"I heard your team was wiped out because of your incompetence. Weren't their cries before death oh so melodious?"
"Look! Such immense power! Why resist? Embrace it, become a Herrscher, and together, let us judge this ugly world!"
"Ahahaha!"
Voices filled with malice came at Ana from all directions. Accompanied by harsh laughter, they pounded in her head like a splitting migraine.
Ana could feel herself losing control. It wasn't just the Honkai energy within her rioting—this space's strange force also stoked her surging emotions, making them unbearable.
She staggered back a step, glancing around in search of her life-saving feather.
Suddenly, invisible strings tore her hands apart, then seized her legs and body. Transparent threads, glowing faintly with a sinister blue light, seemed to breathe, as though drawing some kind of power from her.
"Ahhh!"
...
"This is bad. She's losing control!"
In the meeting room at Anti-Entropy headquarters, Kiana bit her thumb anxiously as she stared at the live feed of Ana, her limbs splayed like a marionette and suspended in midair.
"Hold on, she hasn't called for help yet. Ana Schariac is an outstanding Valkyrie, one in a million. She understands her mission well. If we can't probe the Herrscher of Thousands's abilities, this operation will be meaningless."
Wendy looked up at the live feed, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. Despite the tension, her voice remained calm.
Raiden Mei added,
"Moreover, we cannot guarantee that intervening now will completely resolve the issue. If we fail this time, the Herrscher of Thousands will only become more vigilant, which would be highly detrimental to us."
Kiana responded with a nod, holding back her impulsive nature.
Seele also stared at the screen, the worry in her expression unmistakable.
Besides them, Fu Hua was also present, observing the situation as part of the support team.
In fact, the live feed they were watching was being transmitted through a Fenghuang Down implanted in Ana's body by Fu Hua.
Fu Hua shook her head and sighed silently—she couldn't interfere. This mission belonged to five inexperienced Herrschers, and Fu Hua's role was merely as a safety net in case of an emergency. Just being here to provide some minor assistance was already bending the rules.
Regardless of whether these girls succeeded or failed, and no matter how injured or disheartened they might become, Fu Hua could only watch quietly without stepping in.
Otherwise, this trial would lose all its significance.
"Ah—"
"Good tea!"
"Another cup!"
Perched neatly in Fu Hua's palm was the Book of Fuxi, sitting cross-legged and holding a tiny cup as though entirely detached from the tense situation.
Next to Fu Hua stood a little girl in deep crimson ceremonial robes, carrying an ancient golden sword on her back. Her serene expression remained unchanged as she poured tea from a long-spouted pot. Despite the tiny size of the cup's opening and its minuscule capacity, her precise and steady movements ensured not a drop was spilled—an evident display of her profound martial prowess.
"Fuxi, don't drink too much tea; it's bad for your stomach."
Fu Hua gently chided the miniature figure in her palm, her tone affectionate and tender.
The Book of Fuxi looked up, rolling her eyes.
"Oh, stop it, you blockhead. I'm a machine, not a human! Do you think I'll get a stomachache? Alin, don't listen to her. Living like an old fossil is so boring."
"No, the mindset and cultivation of an immortal will forever be a towering example for Ji Xuanyuan to look up to."
Ji Xuanyuan, holding the long-spouted teapot, responded earnestly like a child pretending to be an adult. However, everyone knew her true identity—Ji Xuanyuan was one of the ancestors of Shenzhou, a legendary warrior against Honkai from ancient times.
Her current form was merely a projection manifested through mental power. Her true soul resided in the golden sword on her back—a hero who now existed as a spirit but still drew her blade against Honkai. She was worthy of all the praise and admiration the world could offer.
The Book of Fuxi, clutching her head in exasperation, exclaimed,
"Stop! Just stop! One blockhead is more than enough for me to handle. If there's another one... my wallet won't survive!"
"If Lord Fuxi is short on funds, Ji Xuanyuan recalls that there was a golden altar in Beiqiu Mountain. The artifacts within should now be considered valuable antiques. Perhaps they could fetch a good price."
"Well then, let's go!"
The Book of Fuxi tossed aside her miniature teacup, suddenly pulling out a tiny tablet displaying a map loading screen. She floated next to Ji Xuanyuan, her eyes turning into golden currency symbols as she looked at her.
As the Book of Fuxi and Ji Xuanyuan huddled together, whispering plans for getting rich over the tablet, Fu Hua couldn't help but smile and shake her head.
In Fu Hua's eyes, the Book of Fuxi being like this was a good thing.
The Book of Fuxi wasn't truly carefree or oblivious. She wasn't created for battle but to accompany Fu Hua. Maintaining her lively personality and bright smile was the best support she could offer Fu Hua.
Afterward, Fu Hua turned her focus back to Ana's live feed, watching the situation with quiet concern, silently worrying about what would come next.
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