Chapter 024 : The Approaching... Malice of the World

Hearing the trembling call from behind, Raiden Mei paused slightly.

Even though the battle wasn't over yet, she still turned her head to look at the white-haired girl, whose eyes were filled with hope...

Without a doubt, at this moment, her eyes were only on her.

(TL/N: Yuri goes Brrrrrr)

"Long time no see, Kiana."

Raiden Mei seemed to smile.

But the smile didn't last long.

"It seems you've made your choice."

Ahead, one after another, the Domination Puppets were dissipating.

Their levels weren't particularly high, so their health pools were limited.

The roar from Kurikara had just wiped out a large portion of them like cannon fodder.

Of course, this outcome was something Ling ke, hidden behind the scenes, had anticipated.

After all, the Domination Puppets could be revived infinitely. As long as the Dominator Theater, the "Rebirth Chamber," existed, he could come back again and again.

And each time, he would only grow stronger individually and expand his forces collectively.

Ling ke hadn't been a Herrscher for long.

Given time, humanity's chances of winning would only grow slimmer.

And before that...

"Since you've come here, according to the rules we set earlier, I'll have to launch a full-scale hunt for Raiden Ryoma."

Domination Puppet 001—no, Ling ke, remotely controlling this body—spoke these words.

"I won't let you succeed."

Raiden Mei's gaze shifted back to him.

Now, there was no trace of the hesitation that had been in her eyes before.

What had she experienced these past few days?

"Heh, it's not hard to guess."

World Serpent headquarters, the Elysian Realm, the Thirteen Flame-Chasers...

"It seems that because I, the butterfly, flapped my wings, Raiden Mei's process of inheriting the Stigmata went much smoother than in the original storyline."

In the Dominator Theater, Ling ke smiled, "After all..."

"This era doesn't have a 'Faded Fairy Lady' causing trouble yet!"

Yes.

The Herrscher of Corruption in this timeline had attached itself to Raiden Mei to enter the Elysian Realm.

Looking back at this part of the original storyline now...

"Seems like you're really a harbinger of disaster."

Ling ke's eyes turned cold, "Tch~ How come I never noticed that before?"

"I guess the rose-tinted glasses were just too thick."

When it came to his enemies, he naturally adopted the most critical mindset.

So...

"Won't let me succeed? Ha!"

On the deck of the Hyperion, Domination Puppet 001 mirrored Ling ke's facial expressions and mocking tone, "Then you'd better step up your game, Miss Raiden Mei."

"After all, there are far too many people you could have saved but failed to, who ended up losing their lives."

"Given your 'outstanding track record,' it's hard for me to believe you're not just spouting empty words right now."

Hearing this...

"Then we'll see."

Raiden Mei tightened her grip on the katana in her hand, raising it to point at the "Domination Puppet: Anby" in front of her, "Ling ke, you've gone from being a victim to a wanton perpetrator."

"I won't hold back anymore."

Hearing her words...

"Oh~ Quite the bold statement."

Domination Puppet 001 sneered, "Yes, I am indeed a perpetrator now."

"Just like you, aren't I?"

At this moment, her expression, synchronized with Ling ke's, was utterly terrifying, "A perpetrator must have the resolve of a perpetrator."

"To be hated, despised, cursed by the world, to be the object of hatred..."

"So why don't I see any of that on you?"

Under Ling ke's remote control, she glanced at Kiana standing not far away, "Don't think that just because you've since lived in the light, you can forget the darkness and sin staining your past."

"We haven't forgotten."

Kiana stepped forward, coming to stand beside Raiden Mei, and declared firmly, "We will carry the sins of our past with us as we move forward."

Clap~ Clap~ Clap~

Domination Puppet 001 applauded.

"Very good, very good."

The corner of her mouth curled into a dangerous smile, "Remember what you've said today."

"I look forward to seeing how you plan to move forward."

At this point, a spatial gate opened behind her.

She turned and stepped through, completely disregarding the many eyes on her.

Raiden Mei and the others made no move to pursue.

After all, with the shared intelligence between Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent, they were well aware that such spatial gates... could not be breached.

But...

"This is a hurdle we'll have to overcome eventually."

A certain Schicksal Overseer had once said this during a remote virtual meeting.

To be honest, while Raiden Mei didn't agree with many of that man's methods, she... never doubted his capabilities.

However...

"Ahhh!!!"

A scream came from behind.

Everyone jolted.

Instinctively, they turned to look...

The commotion was coming from the bridge, where Theresa had forcibly broken through earlier.

Several crew members responsible for piloting the Hyperion had been stabbed through the heart from behind.

In the next moment...

Bang~

"!!!"

Everyone on the deck felt a strong sense of weightlessness.

Most people almost lost their balance immediately.

And in Raiden Mei's field of vision...

At the breach in the bridge, another "Domination Puppet: Anby" stood with a blade, sneering, her lips moving.

She seemed to be silently mocking...

"See, you've failed again."

******

The Hyperion ultimately did not crash.

Because Ling ke still remembered his original plan.

This floating battleship had already been marked with a spatial gate coordinate.

From now on, it would be one of his spawn points... among others.

So, in the end, he didn't let the Domination Puppets casually destroy the ship's main control console, which was right in front of them.

But after that...

"Carry the sins of your past and move forward, huh?"

In the Dominator Theater, Lingke narrowed his unfocused black eyes, "Then don't hide or cover things up. What's the point of suppressing the news?"

He immediately turned his attention to the system interface floating in front of him.

Just now, he had drawn a very interesting game character template:

[Game Character Template: Sombra]

[From: "Overwatch"]

[Character Traits: Health Mechanism, Infinite Ammo, Indestructible Equipment, Immunity to Fall Damage...]

[Game Skills: Machine Pistol, Hack, Thermoptic Camo, Translocator, EMP, Opportunist...]

[Background Talents: World-Class Hacker, World-Class Assassin...]

[Related Introduction: Full Name: Olivia Colomar, the world's most notorious hacker, orphaned by the Omnic Crisis, now a member of "Talon"...]

It was precisely because he had obtained this...

"Although 'Dawn of the Silver Wolf' also has hacking talents, it's still not as convenient as this one."

Ling ke's face broke into a mischievous smile.

Then, he issued an order.

"Deploy 100 Domination Puppets, all using the 'Sombra' template."

"Then, publicly release all the information about the experiences of Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, World Serpent, and even those 'Herrscher ladies' over the years... online."

"Of course..."

Ling ke sneered, "Don't exaggerate or embellish anything, not even a little."

"We're not those unscrupulous trolls who spread fake news to stir up trouble. We're committed to restoring 100% of the truth."

"Afterward, people will naturally draw their own conclusions."

Clearly, he understood...

In this regard, there was no need for him to go out of his way.

Even just the truth...

The horrifying, blood-soaked truth...

Was enough to turn the social media storm into a full-blown storm.

"What was that saying again?"

On his throne, Ling ke crossed his legs, propping his cheek with one hand, "Oh, right..."

"The public has the right to know the truth."