Otto's Little Scheme

Jell and "Yuno" searched the underground ruins with their personal light sources.

The absolute heat generated by the cannon, amplified by the confined space, had melted most things into slag. The final explosion had buried any remaining traces. Jell, enduring the scorching residual heat, descended the elevator shaft, hoping to find clues in the less-damaged upper levels.

Unsurprisingly, the less important floors yielded nothing of value.

"These guys are ruthless..." Jell sighed, dusting off her hands. "We're lucky to have Yuno. We would've been wiped out..." The still-glowing red cracks in the walls and floor radiated intense heat. Such a devious trap!

She recalled the Coral Island facility, where similar drastic measures had been used to erase evidence. She'd initially suspected Anti-Entropy in both cases, but HQ's intense focus suggested something else. If it were Anti-Entropy, wouldn't they just confront them directly?

"Who helped Anna escape that place?" She suspected Anna was hiding something, but one look at her clear, determined eyes was enough. Anna was still the promising Valkyrie she knew. What was once suspicion was now near certainty.

"That rookie couldn't have escaped such a dangerous place alone!" Jell chuckled. Anna was too transparent, a child at heart.

Is this a lead? Perhaps she should thank Anna's mysterious helper.

"Yuno, let's head back. It's too dangerous here." Jell pointed upwards. "There's nothing left. We'll search for clues above ground."

"But..." "Yuno" stopped digging at a fused mass of debris. "There's a clue here..." She remembered a passage; the cat Honkai Beast had escaped through it.

"Let's go, Yuno." Jell understood, but overruled her. "The structure is unstable. Further digging might trigger a collapse. Even the surface might cave in."

"Besides, even if that passage survived the explosion, it's probably a trap now."

"Yuno" wanted to argue, but Otto's subtle mental nudge made her relent. They returned to the surface.

"That squad leader is quite competent. Amber should consider transferring her to HQ." Otto was impressed with Jell. Though her current status was irrelevant to him, he wouldn't mind offering some minor support. It was a trivial gesture, easily forgotten, just as he could easily sacrifice her without a second thought.

Despite the setback and World Serpent's escape, Otto remained calm.

After being forced back by the explosion, he'd vented his frustration by obliterating hundreds of Honkai Beasts, then immediately contacted Amber, demanding full intel support for Team Snow Lotus, leading to Alvitr's contact with Jell. Amber had tried to report other matters, but Otto had cut her off.

"Unless it's about the 2nd Divine Key, everything else can wait until I return."

The missing Divine Key had become an obsession, a crucial piece of his plan, along with the Herrscher of the Void. He'd even "graciously" allowed K423 to remain with Theresa, enjoying a peaceful life. How can strong bonds form without shared hardship? 

He'd planned to send them on dangerous missions, forging their connection through trials. Everything was ready, but the missing Divine Key had forced him to postpone.

Otto's patience was wearing thin. He wanted to eliminate World Serpent and extract the 2nd Divine Key's location from them. Everything else was secondary.

Amber, lacking news of the Divine Key, had reluctantly withheld the information about Anti-Entropy's missing leadership. She never questioned his decisions. Even if she considered it important, if Otto deemed it unimportant, it was unimportant.

Thus, Otto missed a chance to expose "He Kun." If he reports directly to those two, why doesn't he know about their disappearance? This external information was something Lin Wei couldn't have anticipated. Otto could have shattered his carefully constructed facade.

But Otto's arrogance had cost him dearly over the centuries – this oversight was just another example.

"Captain, we have a discovery." Jell's communicator beeped as they reached the surface.

"Report all findings to HQ. Alvitr will analyze them." Jell prioritized efficiency.

"Already done, Captain!" The Valkyrie replied, then hesitated. "But you should see this..."

Jell, puzzled, headed to the Valkyrie's location with "Yuno."

It was a hidden garage, containing a mutilated corpse. The dried blood and expensive clothing suggested wealth.

"Captain, you're here..." The Valkyrie greeted them, nodding to "Yuno." They were less intimidated by her now.

"Is this what you wanted me to see?" Jell indicated the body.

"Yes, but there's more." The Valkyrie pointed elsewhere. "Alvitr checked the university's blueprints for the past century. This garage shouldn't exist! Neither should the lab's lower levels."

"You mean..."

"And there's bad news." The Valkyrie pointed again. "There's a tunnel large enough for a vehicle. Laser measurements suggest it's at least ten kilometers long – and it's not on any blueprints."

"...So they escaped." Jell understood. Bad news indeed. "Did anyone leave the university recently?" This should be handled by a different Valkyrie! she thought, irritated.

"Many, hundreds perhaps. It's a large university, nearly fifty thousand students, with constant traffic..." The Valkyrie sighed. "But we've identified a few key individuals: the lab director and a recently hired foreign scholar, Dr. Cleo..."

"Recent" and "foreign" piqued Otto's interest, but "scholar" made him suspicious. Too high-profile for a cover identity.

"Is the body... one of them?" Jell wondered if they'd fought over the escape route. But the car had multiple seats. Were there more escapees?

"No, Captain. Both Dr. Cleo and the director are female."

"...So there were several. That's not good." Jell still believed the corpse was connected to the organization. "Collect a DNA sample and send it to HQ."

"Yes!" The Valkyrie began her grim task.

"Yuno" examined the body. "Not He Kun, based on the build." Otto finally relaxed. He Kun would have infiltrated the university himself. Getting killed was a real possibility.

He can't die yet! He Kun's intel was too valuable.

World Serpent suffered a major loss. He Kun might be in danger... Otto mused. Time to give Bianka her orders. He quickly sent a message to Durandal:

"Monitor He Kun discreetly. If anyone targets him, do not interfere. Follow them back to their hideout and eliminate them all."

He Kun was now bait, an expendable pawn. Deploying Durandal was timely.

Jell l's communicator beeped. "Jell, we've pulled all traffic camera footage within a 50km radius for the past 24 hours! We'll find them!"

"...Good work, Alvitr." Jell was taken aback. A bit excessive, isn't it? Who taught her that?

"No problem! It's what the ultimate tool does!" Alvitr grinned, then suddenly exclaimed, "What's she doing there?!" Yuno shouldn't be outside HQ. Did she escape? Alvitr broke out in a cold sweat. Are Jell and the others in danger?

A tremor suddenly shook the ground. Alvitr calmed instantly, relieved by the familiar interference. "Oh, she's still at HQ!" She sighed in relief. That was close.

"Who?" Jell looked at "Yuno," confused. Didn't HQ approve her presence?

"Ahaha! Nothing! I saw wrong! Ehe..." Alvitr laughed awkwardly, mortified. She forced herself to regain her composure. "Let's get back to work!"