Chapter 019 : From a Thousand to Ten Thousand
"Collaboration?"
In the Anti-Entropy headquarters conference room, Dr. Tesla was furious upon hearing Otto's proposal. "To hell with your (beep~) grandmother, who would collaborate with scum like you?"
Otto still ignored her.
In the remote projection, his gaze was fixed solely on Welt Yang.
Faced with this situation...
"Sigh~"
Dr. Einstein sighed helplessly once again.
She knew very well that Anti-Entropy really had no other choice at this point.
So...
"Dr. Tesla, please calm down."
She tried to persuade her. "Right now, from the perspective of all humanity, we really don't have the luxury to 'infight' anymore."
"..."
Dr. Tesla wasn't someone who couldn't see reason.
Of course, she knew that her "bedhead" colleague was right.
But her fiery temper simply couldn't stand the idea of working with scum like Otto...
"You all discuss it!"
Dr. Tesla walked straight to the conference room door. "Just tell me the results afterward."
With that, she left without hesitation.
Seeing her like this, everyone sighed helplessly.
But everyone could understand Dr. Tesla's feelings.
In fact, it wasn't just her...
Welt Yang also had mixed feelings when facing Otto.
After all, the latter was the murderer of his father.
Everyone present had, to some extent, been schemed against or harmed by Otto.
No one had a good impression of him.
But even so...
"Let's hear it, your collaboration plan."
Welt Yang took a deep breath, trying to calm his emotions.
Right now, he was standing here as the leader of Anti-Entropy.
So, he would fulfill his duties.
Seeing this...
"Very well."
Otto smiled. "Since you all are willing to collaborate, I hereby promise..."
"Until the 10th Herrscher is completely eliminated, I, Otto Apocalypse, will absolutely not be your enemy."
******
Several days later.
In a particularly dark room within the Theater of Dominance, specially designated by Ling Ke...
"Ugh!!!"
"Ahhh!!!"
The chilling screams never ceased.
This was a torture chamber.
Cocolia's comfortable life during the initial few days had come to an end.
Starting today, for a total of 208 days, Ling Ke would, as previously announced, arrange for his subordinates to replicate everything he had experienced onto Cocolia.
Of course, he was "considerate" enough not to restrain Cocolia's freedom.
At any time, if she wanted to give up, she could choose to leave the torture table and pick up the sharp dagger on the nearby table to end her life.
But...
That dagger was placed in front of a group photo.
(TL/N: damn!)
If Cocolia couldn't endure and reached for the dagger, she would inevitably see that orphanage photo first.
"If you choose to end your life, the remaining suffering will be borne by your daughters."
These words would linger in Cocolia's ears.
Forming the most malicious curse.
Its name: "Living."
At a certain moment...
"No, stop this, let me die! Let me die, ahhh!!!"
In the torture chamber, Cocolia's eyes were bloodshot, her expression terrified, her body trembling uncontrollably.
Only now did she realize how much pain those people she had ordered to be tortured had endured.
The pure physical torment continuously stimulated her brain nerves.
Finally...
"Let me die! Let me die!"
Her mind began to unravel.
She frantically broke free from the not-so-tight restraints, scrambling and stumbling to the table nearby.
As if she had found a treasure, she grabbed the sharp dagger and prepared to plunge it into her own body.
However...
"!!!"
At that moment, under the soft lighting that Ling Ke had "thoughtfully" arranged beforehand, she saw the group photo.
Bronya's expressionless face, Xing's look of disdain, and the smiling faces of Rozaliya, Liliya, Seele... her daughters.
At this moment, the dagger in her hand could no longer move forward.
She collapsed weakly to the ground, the dagger still clutched in her hand.
Tears fell drop by drop onto the back of her hands, which were barely propped up on her knees.
A long time passed...
Cocolia's hands trembled as she placed the dagger back in its original position.
Step by step, she returned to her "hell."
At this moment...
"Two hundred and seven days, thirteen hours, fifty-nine minutes, and fifty-nine seconds remain."
(TL/N: LoL. it's not even a day passes and she already want to suicide)
One of the Domination Puppets coldly announced the time.
Then...
"Continue!"
As his voice fell.
The sounds of muffled groans and screams once again filled the torture chamber.
Now, Cocolia had personally experienced what Ling Ke had felt back then.
It was the most primal despair, like falling into an abyss, enduring the torments of a mountain of knives and a sea of fire, being poisoned and devoured by insects, with not a single ray of light in sight.
She understood.
Here...
A peaceful death was truly a luxury.
******
Meanwhile, in the "Throne Hall" of the Theater of Dominance...
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained a new game character template—Domination Puppets-13807.]
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained a new game character template—Von Lycaon.]
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained a new game character template—Puppet of Dominance-13808.]
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained a new game character template—Aileen.]
As before, Ling Ke himself didn't pay much attention to the live feed of Cocolia's situation.
For the "debt" she owed him, he only cared about the result.
Leaving some suspense... savoring the anticipation like a fine wine was enough.
Now, he had more, far more important matters to focus on.
"Based on my estimation, after all the chaos I've caused, the three major organizations—Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent—will either form an alliance or temporarily set aside their differences and grudges to deal with me."
"And to ensure the complete elimination of me, the 10th Herrscher, the only feasible method they have, given that they can't locate my true body, is to..."
Ling Ke narrowed his eyes. "Present a bait they believe 'I absolutely cannot resist.'"
Without a doubt, being able to think of this doesn't mean Ling Ke is particularly skilled at strategizing.
It's simply because... this is how the original plot unfolded.
Unfortunately...
"Unfortunately, they don't know that I have the advantage of foresight."
As he pondered, Ling Ke raised his right hand, and a crimson crystal appeared.
The Gem of Haste.
In the original plot, this item was "gifted" to Kiana by the Herrscher of Dominance.
Thus, the subsequent appearance of the "Herrscher of Flamescion" came to be.
Otherwise, Kiana wouldn't have been able to overcome the struggle with the other personality within her body—the Void Queen.
Looking back now, it seems fate had arranged everything.
Without the Herrscher of Dominance delivering the equipment, many things would have turned out very differently.
That's why Ling Ke chose to seal away the Gem of Haste.
Never to take it out of the Theater of Dominance.
"Ultimately, the Herrscher of Dominance in the original plot needed to plunder the authorities of other Herrschers to grow stronger."
"But I don't need any of that."
"Previously, plundering Bronya's Herrscher of Reason authority and Kiana's Herrscher of the Void authority was just a side benefit."
Look at the situation now...
The number of Domination Puppets spread across the world has reached five digits.
At this point, calling him the "Herrscher of a Thousand" is no longer appropriate.
A more accurate description would be...
"Herrscher of Dominance - Herrscher of Ten Thousand"
Yes.
Not the original "Thousand," but the elevated "Ten Thousand."
Because Ling Ke himself is the complete Herrscher of Dominance.
Now, having lost trust in anyone, he neither needs nor is willing to share his authority with strangers.
The strength of "Ten Thousand," governed by a single mind, is enough.
Thus, there is no betrayal, no scheming within.
Full cooperation, united against the outside world!
It is under this premise that...
"Previous threats against individuals were just small-scale skirmishes."
On the throne, Ling Ke's gaze sharpened. "Now, it's time to 'declare war.'"