Chapter 75: Otto - "Could This Place Allow Me to Observe the Future?"
Chapter 75: Otto - "Could This Place Allow Me to Observe the Future?"
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'Hehe~ I never expected little Theresa to be completely helpless against a child. So adorable~ Ah, why did that viewer leave in such a hurry just now? If he had stayed a bit longer, he might have witnessed another cute moment from Theresa~'
A pink-colored comment floated across the screen.
Clearly, Elysia found Theresa's struggles amusing, but at the same time, she seemed disappointed by Kevin's sudden departure.
Hokuto watched the chat before continuing to click through the dialogue.
At that moment, Bronya's dialogue appeared on the screen.
['Principal Theresa has spent most of her life in education. She should have more experience handling children.']
['…Most of my life?! What are you implying?! I've only taught normal girls, not… this kind of situation! Fine, fine! When it comes to machines, Bronya has more experience!']
Theresa never expected Bronya to roast her at such a moment, causing her to stammer in frustration.
But before Theresa could respond further, the Cyborg girl softly repeated one of her words.
['Machine...']
['Principal Theresa said something she shouldn't have.']
For some reason, Bronya's awareness heightened, and she immediately sensed the mistake.
Hearing this, Theresa also realized her error.
['Ah, ah… uh… kid, what's your name?']
Yet again, Theresa was met with resistance.
['Machines don't need names.']
She never expected that this mission would force her to deal with such a difficult and awkward child.
But given the circumstances, she had no choice but to establish communication.
['Machine? What nonsense! That was just me speaking carelessly. I'm really sorry.']
['No need to apologize. I really am just a machine. Machines only need model numbers and codes. There's no need for names. Just call me "Humanoid Unit."']
As the Cyborg girl stated this fact, the atmosphere grew heavy.
It was only at this moment that the viewers in the livestream realized…
Her rigid personality wasn't due to personal quirks, but rather… a tragic reality.
['Was it Grey Snake who did this to you? Did he force you to undergo these modifications?']
['Force me? No, Master saved me. Saved all of us. In this city, everyone undergoes surgery. Machines that monitor Honkai energy levels are implanted in every citizen. Fully natural humans are rare.']
"…Ah."
『Today's Performance Wasn't Perfect:』 'I never thought… that even this era's people would walk this path…'
『where did the little lab rats hide?:』 'Hehe, from a survival perspective, this is actually quite logical. But it also means… this will redefine what it means to be human.'
The chat fell silent for a moment, before Mobius' golden comment directly pointed out the core issue.
If humanity became dependent on artificial modifications just to survive in a world overrun by Honkai,
Then pure humans would inevitably disappear.
In their place would be a new kind of human—one with enhanced resistance to Honkai energy, better survival abilities, and greater adaptation to the environment.
In Mobius' vision, this was an unavoidable future.
As the viewers' comments scrolled across the screen, Theresa finally asked a crucial question.
['When did you start undergoing surgery?']
The Cyborg girl hesitated, then answered.
['My past memories… I don't remember much. I only recall the Great Honkai Eruption. Honkai took away my parents. I was infected… My head hurt. It hurt so much…']
She spoke calmly, as if recounting someone else's story.
Perhaps, this was the price of cutting open her skull and removing the damaged parts.
Upon hearing her story, Theresa's frustration faded.
At last, she chose to open up to the Cyborg girl.
['I see… I also lost a dear friend to the Great Honkai Eruption. She was very important to me. I became a Valkyrie to protect the people around me… But I'm truly sorry… As a Valkyrie, I've never been able to fulfill that promise.']
['I couldn't even protect Kiana…']
A new dialogue box appeared, revealing Theresa's inner thoughts.
['(Himeko… If it were you standing here, you'd definitely handle this better than me… It's been four months, and we still haven't found any trace of you. Where are you? Now that we have a lead on Kiana… you must be safe too, right?)']
『Today's Performance Wasn't Perfect:』 '…Himeko-sensei…'
With Theresa's thoughts revealed, a certain viewer in the livestream felt a wave of sadness and helplessness.
Hua originally didn't want to remember the painful past…
But Himeko's sacrifice and Kiana's struggles reminded her of that red silhouette she could never forget.
Himeko chose to sacrifice herself to save her students…
But Fu Hua… had no choice but to free Captain Himiko from the Herrscher's curse.
[Because of your livestream content, "Today's Performance Wasn't Perfect" feels sorrowful. You have gained 1,120 crystals!]
Hokuto heard the system reward notification and immediately understood—
Fu Hua must have been deeply affected by Himeko's story.
It was clear—she had overlapped Himeko's fate with Himiko's.
But the difference was…
Himeko had passed down her "flame"—and Kiana had picked it up.
After a long silence, the Cyborg girl finally spoke up.
['They call you "Principal." Are you a teacher?']
Hearing this, Theresa hesitated, then answered.
['Well… Sort of.' (What subjects did I even teach…?)]
['The girl in the photo… is she your student? Did she go missing?']
Now that the Cyborg girl was asking questions, Theresa finally had an opportunity to explain their mission.
However, after learning that they were searching for Kiana, the girl simply apologized.
['Without Master's permission, I cannot provide any information. I'm sorry.']
Just as she finished speaking, Bronya suddenly detected a large number of mechs approaching.
Theresa realized the danger and ordered everyone to be on alert.
The game then transitioned into real-time combat, as waves of Arc City defense mechs swarmed in.
However…
Against Theresa, wielding the might of the Oath of Judah, these mechs were nothing.
Soon, all enemies were eliminated.
But just as the last mech fell, an incoming transmission suddenly appeared.
Mei's image appeared on the screen.
['Principal Theresa, the one who killed Grey Snake has finally shown herself. It's Rita Rossweisse, vice-captain of the Immortal Blades.']
['Rita? Hah… Just when things couldn't get any worse, we've attracted the worst possible opponent.']
After listening to Mei's report, Theresa immediately recognized the severity of the situation and asked for additional combat updates.
Once Mei finished her report, she expressed her intention to regroup and provide support.
However, at that moment, Bronya, the team's hacking specialist, intervened.
['…Sister Mei, your Valkyrie battlesuit is transmitting two separate tracking signals. Rita must have placed a tracker on you during your fight. Please do not return to the team for now. Instead, alter your route to mislead her.']
Mei took Bronya's advice and acknowledged the plan.
With that, the mission ended, and the game transitioned into the final stage of the interlude.
As soon as the next mission began, the main perspective switched to Rita and Otto.
['Lord Overseer, I have engaged the traitors. The only one who showed up was Raiden Mei. Both Lady Theresa and Bronya Zaychik remain unaccounted for.']
Rita appeared on the screen, delivering her report.
Immediately after, Otto's holographic image responded.
['There's no need to report minor matters like this. I trust that you can handle it.']
Rita continued her report, detailing what she had discovered in Grey Snake's data records.
['According to the search history, Grey Snake had been using humans implanted with quantum computing systems to analyze and extract valuable intelligence from network data. The key to tracking the Herrscher of the Void's whereabouts should be inside the Humanoid Unit's brain.']
Otto was momentarily surprised.
['Human-machine integration… I never expected him to advance to quantum brain computing. Bring the Humanoid Unit to me.']
['Understood.']
However, Otto seemed dissatisfied with just retrieving the Humanoid Unit.
He added another instruction.
['Bringing it back alone is meaningless. To make full use of it, we need to obtain its highest level of access.']
['And if Lady Theresa takes possession of the Humanoid Unit and we cannot retrieve it?']
Otto paused briefly before responding coldly.
['…Then destroy it at all costs. "Give your enemies what they fear most, and deny them what they desire most."']
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'I never expected this seemingly gentle young man to be so cold-blooded… Is this what people call "gap moe"?'
As Otto delivered his signature line, a pink-colored comment floated across the screen.
Clearly, Elysia had now fully grasped the ruthlessness of Schicksal's Overseer.
But… gap moe?
Hokuto never imagined a day where Otto Apocalypse would be described with that phrase.
After all, there was absolutely nothing "moe" about him.
At that moment, another comment appeared.
『Your Great Inventor:』 'Heh, have you ever heard the saying? "Mercy toward the enemy is cruelty toward oneself."'
The green-colored comment came directly from Otto himself.
It was clear—he did not appreciate being discussed in such a way.
However, his response only fueled Elysia's curiosity.
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'Mmm~ I was just saying that casually, no need to take it so seriously~ But now I'm curious… This viewer doesn't just have special feelings toward Theresa—he seems particularly defensive of Otto as well. Why is that?'
『Your Great Inventor:』 'A simple objective evaluation.'
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'Hehe, fine~ Let's call it an "objective evaluation," then.'
A pink and green exchange scrolled across the chat.
At that moment, the Herrscher of Origin from the Previous Era was casually exchanging barbs with the Overseer of Schicksal via livestream chat.
The sight was both amusing and unsettling to Hokuto.
Although Elysia and Otto kept their words polite, the underlying tension was undeniable.
Thankfully, both were the type to keep their true thoughts hidden, so a direct argument was unlikely.
Still, to avoid further distractions, Hokuto resumed the game, focusing on the next scene.
The final mission was relatively short.
Rita eventually confronted Theresa's team and used her skills to steal the data.
Just before leaving, she pointed Grey Snake's cybernetic eye at the Humanoid Unit and said a single phrase:
['…Then self-destruct!']
Then, she left.
Theresa and Bronya rushed to the Humanoid Unit, only to discover that Rita had left a backup plan.
Instead of destroying the Humanoid Unit, she had merely performed a system-wide format.
With that, the mission ended, bringing the interlude chapter to a close.
Normally, this scene was not part of the main story.
It was simply meant to wrap up the interlude.
However…
Rita had taken an action entirely of her own volition.
If Otto—who was currently watching the livestream—realized what she had done…
He would likely be quite displeased.
Which meant…
Hokuto absolutely had to play this scene.
The game transitioned back to Rita's perspective.
['Lord Overseer, the intelligence has been uploaded, and the mission is complete. Thank you for the timely arrival of the extraction airship.']
['It's unfortunate that the Humanoid Unit was destroyed, but at least you accomplished the primary objective. Well done.']
"…?"
[Because of your livestream content, "Your Great Inventor" feels irritated. You have gained 840 crystals!]
"…Oh no, excuse me—"
[Because of your livestream content, "Maintaining Elegance Is a Maid's Duty" feels terrified. You have gained 560 crystals!]
As the scene played out, Hokuto heard the system notification.
Yup. Otto was definitely mad.
At Schicksal Headquarters, Otto sat silently in his office, deep in thought.
Suddenly, his communicator rang.
"Lord Overseer, please allow me to explain!"
Before Otto could even ask the reason for the call, Rita had already begun defending herself.
It had been some time since the Arc City mission ended.
Since both she and Durandal were still stationed there searching for K-423,
she had some free time to check the livestream.
And when she saw that her mission was broadcasted directly to Otto…
She was horrified.
"Oh? You want to explain this to me?"
"Hehe… That's quite unlike you, Rita."
Contrary to what she expected, Otto did not seem angry at all.
Not because he had softened—but because compared to this small matter…
He was far more interested in the livestream itself.
"Formatting the data won't completely prevent information leaks, but the time it takes to recover the data will be enough to keep Theresa occupied. So I'm not concerned about that."
"Rather, I'm more intrigued by something else… That livestream…"
"It appears to have the ability to foresee the future."
"Foreseeing the future? Lord Overseer, based on my limited understanding... If your assumption is correct, does that mean we can change the future through this method?"
Rita's question was the natural thought anyone would have upon realizing the ability to see the future.
However, her reasoning did not receive a definite answer.
Instead, Otto raised his hand, signaling for her not to interrupt, and then shared his perspective.
"Of course, we can. But there is no need to do so recklessly. "
"Rita, if you knew what you would experience in the future and what choices you would make, what would you do? "
"I… I would try to avoid unfavorable events and make the future as perfect as possible. "
Within the holographic projection, Rita's expression and posture mirrored her in-game counterpart exactly.
This further solidified Otto's belief—the events of the game's story were not fiction, but the reality he was living in.
And if that was the case, there was no need for hesitation.
Guiding the story to a more favorable outcome for himself was the most logical decision.
"Good. Very good. That is my belief as well. We should observe the future and make selective adjustments to benefit ourselves. Think of it as pruning a tree—cutting away the old, withered branches while nurturing the new ones. "
Otto smiled as he explained his philosophy.
His words were both an explanation and an order.
Understanding the implications, Rita knew she had to be even more cautious going forward.
To ensure absolute prudence, she sought clarification.
"Understood… then what should I do next? "
"Continue watching. The streamer has promised to show K-423's future. All we need to do is observe."
"Understood."
Thus, the master and servant duo prepared to spectate with unwavering focus…
After completing the interlude's first chapter, Hokuto had no intention of playing the second chapter.
As a veteran Captain, he knew that most of it focused on Grey Snake and Theresa's group.
Skipping it wouldn't impact the viewing experience of Chapters 13-14, so he decided to jump straight to Chapter 13.
The moment he opened the chapter selection screen, a title appeared in the livestream for everyone to see.
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'A Shooting Star Streaking Across the Night… Such a romantic name~'
It was clear—Elysia loved poetic names referencing stars and flowers.
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'But "Long Night, Dark Sky"… That sounds a bit grim. There won't be anything too heartbreaking, right?'
『Hokuto:』 'Oh? Ahahaha, no, of course not… Probably?'
Hokuto immediately recognized Elysia's concern.
She was still traumatized by Chapter 9's gut-wrenching events.
It was completely understandable—the first exposure to Mihoyo's narrative "blade" was always painful.
And unfortunately for her…
"The Final Lesson" was only the beginning.
There was still "Everburning Flames," "Thus Spoke Apocalypse," and "Because of You" waiting for her.
That being said, Chapters 13-14 weren't too bad overall.
With that in mind, Hokuto selected Chapter 13, "Long Night, Dark Sky."
The moment the game loaded, the UI interface completely changed, standing apart from the previous chapters.
In the center of the screen, stood Kiana, gripping her twin pistols with her heterochromatic eyes, while Rita turned back to face her.
Beside them were two mission selection options—one for the Main Story and the other for the side mission "Dreams in the Dark."
Below those options were three buttons—Story Replay, Chapter Missions, and Character Enhancement.
Hokuto clicked on the Main Story, revealing a long list of 15 missions.
Even though there were only 15 stages, the story content was incredibly dense.
Considering how long the livestream had been running, Hokuto decided to only play the first five missions today and continue the rest tomorrow.
『Hokuto』 "What do you all think?"
The first response came as a golden comment.
『where did the little lab rats hide?:』 'It's getting late. Hurry up and play. I can't wait to see if that Herrscher gets dragged back to the lab.'
It was obvious—Mobius still did not recognize Kiana as human.
However…
After seeing this chapter, perhaps her perspective would change.
『Hokuto』 "What about everyone else?"
Hokuto asked for the other viewers' opinions.
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'My friend is right.'
『Hard Work Always Pays Off:』 'I agree.'
『Today's Performance Wasn't Perfect:』 'I support it.'
『Maintaining Elegance Is a Maid's Duty:』 'No objections.'
As everyone expressed their approval, Hokuto clicked the small play button on the mission progress bar.
The intro scene functioned as a prologue to the chapter, shedding light on World Serpent's actions behind the scenes.
As the screen faded in, an endless corridor stretched into the darkness…
The only sound was the echoing footsteps of a single traveler.
At the end of the corridor, a dialogue box appeared with narration.
[Somewhere far away, in an unknown place.]
[In the dimly lit passage, Grey Snake moved forward without hesitation.]
He did not light a torch, nor did he memorize a map of the area.
Yet, whenever he reached a fork in the path, the correct direction appeared in his mind, as if he had walked this road a thousand times before.
In reality, this was his first time visiting this sanctuary.
1,500 years ago, this place was the starting point of the Lord's return to the world.
It was once a sacred site for his followers.
However, after he was sealed in the Abyss, it was forgotten—its location lost to time.
Now, the Lord's summons had brought Grey Snake back to this place to fulfill his duty.
Grey Snake halted his steps.
At the end of the corridor stood a massive metallic door, heavy as a fortress wall.
He stood in silence.
Then, as if a light had illuminated his mind, a passphrase surfaced in his thoughts.
Grey Snake spoke it aloud.
["Destruction and Rebirth."]
With a groan of ancient metal, the titanic door slowly opened.
Inside, a man sat upon a throne, lost in deep thought.
1,500 years had passed.
Empires had risen and fallen.
Fire and war had cleansed the land countless times.
Yet, the man before him had not changed in the slightest.
His will remained the same.
A being beyond time, untouched by history.
Only one who surpasses time itself could defeat the destruction hidden behind history.
The man finally opened his eyes, gazing at his loyal follower.
Grey Snake trembled.
Those eyes…
They had witnessed the dreams of countless mortals.
They had endured the sorrow of countless extinctions.
And yet, beneath it all…
They were colder than ice.
"It's him!?"
The strongest soldier of the Previous Era.
The first Fusion Warrior.
The one who bore the inscription of salvation.
Kevin Kaslana.
End of Chapter 75