Volume 3, Chapter 53: The Senti Luring Plan

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Dealing with the Herrscher of Sentience proved far easier than other Herrschers, at least from Xia Chen's perspective.

The current era's Herrscher of Sentience did not employ meme pollution, or at least showed no inclination towards it.

Thus, Xia Chen devised an excellent plan that also leveraged Shenzhou's greatest strengths.

"Here will be the entertainment zone, here for gourmet food, and here for movies. Reduce car traffic here, and advertise heavily towards Taixuan Mountain..."

In a city near Taixuan Mountain, Xia Chen pointed out various locations while briefing officials.

Below him stood members of the City Planning Department, unaware of Xia Chen's background. However, they had been instructed to follow his lead during this period, so regardless of how unconventional his plans might seem, they were obliged to listen attentively.

The officials from the City Planning Department were unaware of Xia Chen's background, but they had been instructed to follow his lead during this period. Consequently, no matter how unconventional Xia Chen's plans might seem, they could only comply.

"Remember to include plenty of ice cream stalls in the food district and prepare carousels and bumper cars for entertainment. Do you recall our objective?" Xia Chen cleared his throat and said, "We want the Herrscher to feel welcomed, as if this city is her home."

"Oh right, ensure that this plan remains confidential; don't let any outsiders or merchants know about Honkai or the Herrschers. The Herrscher of Sentience can perceive people's intentions, both good and malicious, understand?"

"Yes, yes, we understand," the group of officials affirmed, indicating their comprehension regardless of what Xia Chen proposed.

Xia Chen's plan was straightforward. Since the Herrscher of Sentience enjoys playing, why not organize a large-scale urban event to attract her? Directly confronting her at Taixuan Mountain might escalate into conflict, whereas enticing her with entertainment would likely make subsequent actions much smoother.

"We need to move quickly; time is not on our side," Xia Chen reiterated urgently.

No one knew how the Herrscher of Sentience's thoughts might change as time dragged on. After all, children are unpredictable, harboring pure yet unfathomable malice, which could erupt at any moment.

After he left, Wendy expressed her doubts, "Do you think this plan will really work?"

"I'm not sure," Xia Chen replied casually. "Dealing with Herrschers isn't exactly my forte. However, based on the available information, it's the safest approach."

The most fortunate aspect for him now was that Otto wasn't currently leading Schicksal, so there was no strict requirement to recover the Herrscher.

Even during Otto's reign, Schicksal didn't seem to actively pursue the recovery of all Herrschers after the Herrscher of Thunder. Otto appeared disinterested in any subsequent Herrschers born thereafter.

It seemed Otto had long known about the absolute individual will possessed by the Herrschers of this era.

Xia Chen shook his head, dismissing these thoughts.

Turning to Wendy, he said, "At this point, some sacrifices from you are also necessary."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Be a tour guide."

Untrusting of Shenzhou officials, Xia Chen planned to handle the reception of the Herrscher himself.

"I'll arrange for key establishments to be staffed with our Valkyries, who will entertain the Herrscher of Sentience. Your role as the tour guide is to accompany her and experience these places together. Once she fully relaxes, I'll bring Wu Jin out to negotiate terms with her."

Wendy blinked. "I don't have any issues with doing this, but I think we should practice beforehand."

"You can consider me as the Herrscher of Sentience for rehearsal purposes. Don't worry, let's take it slow; it should go smoothly." Xia Chen encouraged her.

Xia Chen's plan was meticulously unfolding.

During this time, he also received good news. With Kiana and Durandal's cooperation, the Dominion Theater had been destroyed, capturing the Herrscher of Dominance along with it.

This outcome was expected, as Durandal's resolve surpassed even Kiana's. The Herrscher of Dominance had no chance to sway her, making their defeat inevitable.

However, Xia Chen didn't believe it would end just like that.

Durandal had asked if Shenzhou required assistance, stating she could provide support at any moment.

He declined her offer.

Durandal was not one for acting; if she arrived here, it would inevitably lead to a confrontation with the Herrscher of Sentience. Winning might be manageable, but losing would tarnish the reputation of Schicksal's Valkyries, undoubtedly causing further turmoil.

The recent chaos within Schicksal exposed numerous individuals with malicious intentions. Capturing the Herrscher of Dominance alone wouldn't pacify them; rather, driven by self-preservation, they would only become more disruptive.

Therefore, for Durandal's own sake, she should not appear on the front lines, let alone here. The risks were simply too high.

Xia Chen didn't dwell on the news about Herrscher of Dominance and instead focused on preparations with Wendy. With her excellent memory, after just two rehearsals alongside Xia Chen, she knew precisely what to watch out for.

Under the officials' promotion, the bustling city continued to grow livelier each day. Multiple events featuring cuisine, entertainment, and anime exhibitions spanned over several days. Although primarily aimed at advertising Taixuan Mountain, the combination of affordable prices and subsidies attracted numerous visitors.

The local officials couldn't have been happier.

Everything was now set.

Taking a deep breath, Xia Chen awaited the arrival of the Herrscher of Sentience.

Unbeknownst to him, within Taixuan Mountain, someone else had also encountered the Herrscher of Sentience.

A dismantled doll lay scattered on the ground, yet its mouth continued speaking:

"We are truly kindred spirits; you will join us."

The Herrscher of Sentience had been feeling rather discontent lately.

Having inherited Fu Hua's memories, she believed herself to be Fu Hua. However, recent events have not unfolded as she desired.

Firstly, seeking out Kevin proved futile since he was beyond the Sea of Quanta, unreachable. Upon returning to Taixuan Mountain, a small-scale Revelation scenario occurred. Although swiftly dealt with, it strained her relationship with Shenzhou, which she had nurtured for many years.

Just when she managed to mend ties with Shenzhou, World Serpent came knocking at her door.

To the Herrscher of Sentience, World Serpent was merely Kevin's underling, and out of respect for Kevin, she chose to drive them away directly. However, after doing so, she discovered that half of her residence had been destroyed.

Although the Shenzhou government sent personnel to repair it, the Herrscher of Sentience found their restoration style highly unsatisfactory.

Why fix it exactly as before?

Of course, this alone wouldn't have angered her significantly.

What truly infuriated her was during the repairs, the construction team stumbled upon the Armed Doll, Book of Fuxi.

At first glance, the Herrscher of Sentience noticed the Book of Fuxi was depleted of power. She promptly created a Honkai Fragment by hand and reactivated it.

Shockingly, the Book of Fuxi no longer recognized her.

"Are you really that dense?"

Little Fuxi tilted her head, somewhat incredulous. "Why have your eyes turned red?"

"It's because it looks cool," replied Herrscher of Sentience, placing hands on her hips and proudly raising her chin at Little Fuxi. "I'm no longer that outdated antique."