Volume 4, Chapter 35: Dolls Forged in Despair

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By the time Xia Chen arrived at the Oceanic Branch, it was already the same evening he received the news.

He hadn't departed immediately but instead went to the technical department, requesting Alvitr's assistance in tracing the appearances of Dominion Dolls.

The situation looked grim.

Alvitr informed him that Dominion Theaters had emerged worldwide, affecting not just Schicksal but also Anti-Entropy. Even traces of the Herrscher of Dominance were found in Klostern, the former headquarters of Schicksal.

Although Klostern was no longer the central hub of Schicksal, it remained one of its symbolic cities. Similar to Vatican City before Xia Chen's transmigration, it functioned as a state within a state.

Apart from Wendy, others had disappeared as well.

In such a vast world, there couldn't be only a handful of Valkyries; every industry relied on key individuals for society to function smoothly. This included scholars and scientific researchers who had vanished alongside them.

Therefore, not only was Xia Chen dispatched to investigate this matter, but Rita and her team from Schicksal's Special Forces were also sent out. Similarly, Ana and her Snow Lotus Squad joined the operation.

Durandal initially intended to mobilize the Immortal Blades, but Amber intervened, stating that allowing them to leave Headquarters would put it at risk instead.

Likewise, Raiden Mei, Bronya, and Seele participated in this mission without being assigned to specific squads. However, they received intelligence support from Alvitr.

At this moment, the vast machinery of Schicksal was operating at full capacity. Following the recent purge, many countries have opened doors for Schicksal's involvement.

Upon arriving in New Zealand, Xia Chen continuously received streams of information.

"On the day Wendy disappeared, she had dinner with a Valkyrie named Alice. Did she vanish right after the meal?"

He promptly set out to find this Valkyrie called Alice.

However, he was informed that Alice too had gone missing.

Before Xia Chen's arrival, the Oceanic Branch had already initiated their investigation. However, on the day Wendy disappeared, Alice also failed to return.

Xia Chen couldn't fault them for this situation. He wasn't a leader or superior within the Oceanic Branch, and reprimanding them now would only escalate tensions without resolving anything.

Fortunately, he did have a valuable resource at his disposal.

"Rin, can you sense my current location? Please assist me."

Yes, Rin was Xia Chen's trump card.

Although Rin joined Schicksal, due to her unique nature, she required only basic combat training with the Immortal Blades. She didn't need to engage directly on the battlefield; instead, the technical department suited her better.

At this moment, Rin was naturally located at Schicksal Headquarters. As a Herrscher, she possessed the Authority to effortlessly access information flows worldwide.

By locating where the intercepted data is stored, they could determine the position of the Herrscher of Dominance.

"Don't worry, I'm quite experienced with tasks like these."

If one disregards combat ability and focuses solely on potential for destroying civilization, the Herrscher of Corruption undoubtedly ranks first.

In modern society, information is at its core, and disrupting this flow disrupts everything.

Clearly, Rin now possesses the power to destroy the world.

Yet currently, she's just a little girl easily swayed by Ana's snacks.

"The location has been determined."

Rin's voice echoed through the communicator, and Xia Chen promptly followed her guidance, locating where the data was intercepted.

"Tsk, not even bothering to hide it."

He spotted a doll lying on the ground, unmistakably Alice.

Before the doll, there lay an entrance to a different dimension.

"Sirin, can you see inside?"

Xia Chen communicated with his Stigma consciousness. Sirin, possessing authority over both real and virtual spaces, also had the ability to open portals to Virtual Space.

"Yes."

Sirin's attitude towards him remained indifferent, but she never refused when he sought assistance.

"There are many people inside."

At present, the Dominion Theater was in utter chaos.

The enraged dolls, seemingly struck at their vulnerable points, attacked Wendy. However, their assaults resembled more of a child's squabble, lacking any real force.

With minimal effort, Wendy effortlessly felled wave after wave of dolls.

Yet despite her success, she felt neither relief nor ease.

According to the dolls, their existence stemmed from the fusion of human negative emotions and desires. Though they were a disorganized mob, together, they could overshadow even the sun and moon.

Regardless of whether the dolls' claims held any truth, she wouldn't let it deter her progress.

Instead, she noticed her steps becoming increasingly heavy.

"Is it due to fatigue from prolonged combat?" Wendy furrowed her brow.

In this space, there was no concept of food, but that didn't mean she couldn't feel hunger during battle, even just from firing her weapon...

"I need to find a way out quickly."

Wendy left the theater, continuing her search for an exit.

Just as she took another step, a sudden voice caught her attention.

"Is anyone there? Is anybody around?"

Wendy stopped and followed the sound, finding a frantic woman seeking help.

It was a middle-aged lady, approximately in her forties, dressed in a white lab coat. Judging by her attire, she seemed to be involved in research-related work. Wendy, unlike Rita, could only make a rough assessment.

Despite instinctively wanting to assist, Wendy remained rooted on the spot.

The Herrscher of Dominance's mind had already been distorted, but it appeared unlikely to act without reason. She wondered how this Herrscher would treat ordinary people.

As for protecting this woman...

The thought crossed Wendy's mind, but she forcibly suppressed the impulse. All she could do was ensure the woman's safety from afar.

Moreover, if her suspicions were correct, the woman should not face any physical danger.

As expected, instead of deploying Puppet Titans or Zombies against her, the dolls launched relentless verbal attacks exploiting her vulnerabilities.

Age, flaws, years of work without promotion, suspected marital infidelity...

Each relentless attack amplified the woman's inner despair. Wendy observed a golden thread beginning to entwine around her.

She now had a rough understanding of what this 'Dominion' was about.

By artificially amplifying everyone's despair, it sought to control the entire world through their hopelessness.

It truly is...

a despair-inducing approach.

As the golden thread neared its target, Wendy swiftly fired, causing the puppet to plummet with a thud and severing the thread.

"Learn to resist, ma'am," Wendy gently reminded the stunned woman nearby. "In this world, if you lack your own resolve and only listen to others' criticisms, it becomes incredibly difficult to survive. It said much but failed to mention that your income surpasses at least 90% of people."

"These emotions mean nothing in the face of survival."

Wendy now had a general idea of how to counteract the Herrscher of Dominance.