Chapter 126: Five Individuals Named, Three Prices Paid; Neither of You Two Included

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Meanwhile, following the original storyline, Raiden Mei and Raven successfully met with another World Serpent executive. As expected, it was none other than Owl Chen Tianwu.

However, unlike their initial encounter in the original plot, Chen Tianwu appeared somewhat bewildered as he stared at the solid ice enveloping Coral Island. It seemed as if he were deep in thought or recalling something significant.

Indeed, that's precisely what was happening.

Gazing at the icy landscape before him, something stirred within the depths of Chen Tianwu's memories. For a fleeting moment, he felt transported back to the nightmare-like Honkai incident in Manila.

"Big brother—"

The girl's voice echoed in Chen Tianwu's ears, and he struggled to grasp its source, but it gradually faded away. In his exhausted state, he seemed to glimpse a figure—an icy blue silhouette emanating intense coldness...

It was her who took her away! And because of her, he couldn't find any trace of his sister later on.

Yes, my little sister didn't perish in the Honkai; she was taken away by that mysterious figure. If someone took her, then... perhaps she's now living happily somewhere in this world?

"Owl!"

A familiar voice interrupted Owl's reminiscence, jolting him back to reality. He noticed Raven beside him and the Herrscher—Raiden Mei.

For some reason, he felt a striking resemblance between the icy-blue figure from his dream-like vision and Raiden Mei before him, yet they were distinctly different.

They couldn't be the same person, but there undoubtedly existed similarities between them.

Chen Tianwu's eyes flickered as he scrutinized Raiden Mei closely, searching for those shared traits he hoped to find.

Raiden Mei frowned, sensing an intrusive gaze from the man in front of her. To put it bluntly, it felt akin to being ogled by a creepy stalker, which greatly annoyed her.

However, she refrained from saying anything, knowing well that World Serpent's operatives often had peculiar and varied personalities. Encountering such behavior wasn't surprising to her.

Raven, standing nearby, picked up on Raiden Mei's discomfort and shook her head slightly with exasperation. Then, she reached out and forcefully smacked Owl on the head.

"Ouch!"

With Raven's hard strike, Owl let out a wince, instantly snapping back to reality.

"You, do you realize what kind of look you had just now?" Raven scolded him irritably. She knew Owl well enough to understand he wasn't typically lecherous; there must have been a reason for his behavior. However, regardless of the cause, it was still highly inappropriate!

"My apologies, but seeing Raiden Mei... er, Lady Raiden Mei, reminded me... of someone from my past, ha-ha! Sorry about that!" Owl quickly corrected himself.

Raiden Mei raised an eyebrow. How should she put it? It seemed like a rather clumsy attempt at striking up a conversation, yet when she observed Owl closely, she dismissed that thought. His eyes showed little emotion, maintaining their usual deadfish gaze, but they didn't betray any deceit.

"Just call me Mei," she replied.

"You can describe the person you remember; perhaps I could be of help."

For some reason, Raiden Mei sensed a similar aura from this young man, evoking a feeling of shared fate despite its peculiarity. She decided not to hesitate and assist him within her capabilities.

Maybe it's just... mutual support between kindred spirits?

"Haha, thanks, Mei... But...it's alright..."

Owl lowered his head, not because he didn't want to seek Raiden Mei's help, but rather...he felt it was best to let it go...

Raiden Mei didn't say anything further, simply continuing on ahead. It might have seemed like she was upset, but in reality, how could she be? Her offer was casual, and since Owl chose to handle it himself, there was no need for her to insist where her kindness wasn't appreciated.

"Ah, you kid!" Raven shot a disapproving glare at Owl before catching up with Raiden Mei.

Owl scratched his head momentarily, then followed suit, trailing behind them.

"Hey, Mei, don't be upset. He's just like that; he's an expert in intelligence gathering and skilled at covert operations. He'll contribute to our mission in his own way."

"Don't worry, I'm not so petty," Raiden Mei replied mildly. She didn't bother explaining further to Raven, as she knew Raven wouldn't truly understand. As for Owl, she comprehended his perspective and decided to let him handle things his way.

Despite their differences, the mission had to proceed as planned.

Following the original storyline, the World Serpent trio approached the area with intense Honkai Energy readings. Naturally, numerous Honkai Beasts obstructed their path, which was expected behavior.

The increasing presence of Honkai Beasts also signaled they were drawing closer to their target.

During this time, Raven repeatedly scolded Owl for slacking off, but Owl remained unfazed. In his view, if the Herrscher of Thunder could handle these beasts effortlessly, his intervention would only add unnecessary chaos. It was better to conserve energy for confronting the Herrscher directly.

Continuing on their trail, they soon arrived at a massive ice wall emanating strong Honkai Energy signals. Without a doubt, the Herrscher must be concealed within it.

The subsequent events unfolded similarly to the original storyline.

Raven used the Seven Cleansing Thunders to force out the Herrscher, who briefly clashed with the trio before swiftly fleeing. Raiden Mei intended to pursue but was stopped by Owl, necessitating a more strategic approach.

After a brief respite, they continued their pursuit of the Herrscher of Ice. On the World Serpent's side, there were no significant deviations from the original plot, neither due to Owl's defection nor any subsequent developments.

Meanwhile, Durandal engaged the Herrscher, but Rita's support was conspicuously delayed. Additionally, Durandal noticed something peculiar: Despite Ana, or rather, the Herrscher before her, possessing the capability to defeat or even kill her, she never delivered a decisive blow. Moreover, Ana's voice and words seemed unusually repetitive, constantly urging the same message.

She wanted Durandal to leave, and gradually, these words began to feel like a subtle suggestion.

With a sudden realization, Durandal paused, standing still as frost approached her. Yet, the sharp ice failed to pierce her body or cause any harm whatsoever.

Following her strike, the Herrscher remained stationary, continuing to murmur:

"Leave... Leave..."

"This is an illusion!"

Having experienced Su's trial before, Durandal quickly realized that everything here, including the Herrscher before her, was merely an illusory realm. This ability resembled the Herrscher of Sentience's power from their previous encounter.

From the Herrscher's words, Durandal understood that Ana's sole intent was to prevent her approach and urge her departure. The combat itself served as a warning, hoping she would retreat.

Durandal closed her eyes, attempting to search for the exit through mental means and locate the creator of this illusion. However, before she could release her mental energy, an invisible shackle bound her.

"Please... let it end here, Bianka. I don't wish to harm you."

Ana's voice suddenly echoed in Durandal's mind, causing her expression to subtly shift.

"So, you truly are behind all of this."

"My apologies, Bianka. It's not my intention; this is necessary protection for both me and you."

"My time is running out. Leave this place now. Once everything settles down, I will explain it all to you. Please, depart!"

As Ana's words echoed, the restraints intensified, exerting an incomprehensible force upon Durandal. Not only could she not grasp its nature, but she also found herself unable to resist.

"Find Rita and take her away! Within twenty-four hours, do not approach Coral Island under any circumstances!

"This isn't a request, but a warning!

"Bianka, I don't want your blood on my hands!"

With that, the terrifying power receded like an ebbing tide. Left standing there, Bianka gasped for breath heavily. The intensity and oppressive weight of that force surpassed even what she had experienced from Su, the previous Pioneer.

The last time she faced such a fearsome presence was against Kevin in Northern Africa.

Although neither of them had unleashed their full potential, if Durandal held back by fifty percent, Kevin likely restrained himself by five hundred percent.

Yet, the one possessing such immense power was someone she knew intimately, her closest friend.

"Ana, just what have you endured...?"

Durandal gazed at the Herrscher of Ice before her and posed a question, but the Herrscher did not respond verbally. Instead, she emitted a pained wail infused with mental energy, assaulting Durandal's consciousness.

Durandal understood this as Ana's warning: everything here had nothing to do with her; Ana didn't want them involved or to become adversaries. But why would Ana need to oppose them?

Regrettably, despite countless questions swirling in her mind, faced with the threat from the Herrscher of Ice, Durandal could only choose to leave. She sensed that if she persisted, the Herrscher of Ice before her would fully materialize, inevitably leading to a fierce confrontation.

As the thought of departure took root in Durandal's mind, a narrow path free of ice and snow appeared behind her. Without needing any prompt, she realized it likely led to Rita's location.

Rita hadn't joined her because she too was trapped within the illusory realm. The most perilous aspect was that these illusions seamlessly blended with reality, making it impossible to discern what was genuine.

Whether it be the Herrschers, solid ice, buildings, or even Honkai Beasts, all shared this deceptive nature.

As Durandal suspected, Rita was also trapped within her own illusory realm and confronted by the Herrscher of Ice. Against such an adversary, Rita found herself virtually defenseless.

The Gaia's Conqueror armor she wore was completely outmatched by the Herrscher of Ice. Fortunately, the Herrscher had no intention of taking her life; otherwise, Rita would have been unable to withstand its onslaught.

Due to these reasons, along with the inability to contact or locate Durandal, Rita deduced that they were within an illusory realm.

Furthermore, Rita suspected their opponent didn't even bother feigning deception, likely due to her perceived weakness—an assumption that proved accurate.

Although Rita recognized this as an illusion, she lacked the ability to escape from it entirely.

After some prolonged combat, she eventually surmised the condition for leaving: defeating the Herrscher of Ice before her.

However, aside from being disadvantaged by elemental affinity, Rita's strength genuinely fell short compared to the Herrscher of Ice, forcing her to endure and stall.

Soon, Durandal arrived on the scene, repelling the Herrscher of Ice. She then promptly evacuated with Rita, while the Herrscher chose not to pursue further.

As they exited the illusory realm, both Rita and Durandal felt a subtle change—a sense that the distant Herrscher of Ice seemed more solidified somehow, although it could have been merely an illusion.

Outside Coral Island, on the sea-crossing bridge, Rita and Durandal reunited with the remaining Immortal Blade Valkyries stationed there, exchanging information about their respective encounters.

"It seems that Herrscher of Ice is indeed Ana," Rita remarked slowly. This outcome came as no surprise to her; after becoming the Herrscher of Wind, it was natural for Ana to be chosen as the Herrscher of Ice.

Moreover, based on what she observed, there shouldn't be any issues with Ana's consciousness. However, it appeared that Ana might be involved in something crucial and highly confidential.

"In that case, I now understand why Lord Bishop requested the evacuation of Coral Island residents earlier—it must have been Ana's directive."

"Ana has been orchestrating this plan for quite some time," Durandal couldn't help but marvel. Although unsure of Ana's exact intentions, she still felt astonished and admiring.

Despite her admiration, even Durandal felt somewhat powerless.

Ana, their friend and family member, fought fiercely amidst bloodshed, yet they could only remain here, unable to contribute or provide assistance in any meaningful way. She didn't blame Ana for not confiding in them, as given the circumstances, it seemed likely that Ana believed their involvement would truly hinder rather than help.

"Captain, Vice-Captain, I've gathered some intelligence about World Serpent's senior members."

Alvitr approached and handed some documents to Lady Durandal and Rita, containing information about Owl, one of the World Serpent's leaders. In the original storyline, it was Alvitr who discovered these records.

"I see, so that young man is indeed the same person you encountered in Manila, Lady Durandal," Rita couldn't help but remark after reading the files.

Durandal frowned slightly, sensing something amiss. This Owl, or rather Chen Tianwu, seemed... intricately connected to Ana's current mission, yet she couldn't pinpoint exactly how.

"Should we report this to Lord Bishop?"

"...Yes, he likely already knows."