"Overseer Otto, is there still no news of Ryn?"
Durandal frantically asked about Ryn in Otto's office. It was already the fourth day since returning from Sumeru, and Durandal had run back and forth to Otto's office countless times.
"Durandal, we have far too little research data on Bubble Universes and the Sea of Quanta. So all we can do now is wait... or until we have complete control of the Second Divine Key to travel through Bubble Universes to search for him..."
Otto shook his head, rubbing his forehead. He had a headache now too. Heaven knows how shocked he was when Durandal gave him Su's world observation data, only for Ryn to disappear right after.
Although he was happy to be rid of a completely uncontrollable factor like Ryn, seeing Durandal so anxious made Otto's scowl return.
Even though she wasn't his biological daughter, Otto had raised Durandal as his own, treating her even better than Theresa. Now that the cabbage he had raised had grown legs and run off on its own, Otto felt as terrible as if he'd been screwed by a pig.
"Then I'll go ask Dr. Nagamitsu."
Seeing there was no news from Otto, Durandal turned and hurried towards the Nagamitsu Research Institute.
Ryn had disappeared while trying to help her; she had to take responsibility for this. Although Su had said nothing would happen, it had been several days without any news, and she was worried sick.
Bang—
Durandal slammed the office door shut as she left, so anxious that she forgot to control her strength.
Otto looked at the rickety door on the office doorframe, his dark face twisting even more.
No, no, my blood pressure is rising.
Otto quickly took out his phone, opened his photo album, and lay back in his chair, slowly looking at pictures of Theresa and Kallen as children, occasionally switching to glance at photos of a young Durandal.
"They were all so cute and well-behaved as children, but after growing up, each one is more rebellious than the last. Pity the hearts of parents everywhere~"
Bang—
Otto suddenly crushed his phone and stood up, his face dark.
"Why would I save this kind of photo! This is too much! Which bastard sent me a picture of Kallen and Yae Sakura kissing!! Damn it, damn it all! It must have been that bastard Ryn!"
Otto angrily summoned a digital touchpad, thought for a moment, and then began to write one shocking news story after another, posting them on Schicksal's internal forum.
——————————————
After passing through the World Barrier, Ryn appeared at the edge of the solar system.
Appearing in the Oort Cloud, Ryn looked at the yellow star 63,241 astronomical units away and suddenly fell silent.
(In the game, Griseo is located over 4,500 astronomical units from the sun, but still within the solar system. So miHoYo is using the one-light-year concept of the solar system.)
"Is this World Barrier defined by the broader solar system? A pity. Why isn't it defined by the sun's gravitational range? Eighty-something astronomical units would have been possible... But now it seems to be defined by the Oort cloud... That means the solar system is one light-year across! How am I supposed to get back!"
Ryn took out the stellar-mass black hole again, contemplating whether he should just take the solar system down with him.
The sun's mass accounts for 99% of the solar system, so if a stellar-mass black hole appeared in the solar system, the sun would be instantly destroyed, and the solar system would cease to exist...
"Sigh... I just left, and now I have to go back already."
Ryn opened a passage to the Sea of Quanta and walked in.
He had already fused with Janna's core, losing the passive ability with a cooldown that teleported him to the Sea of Quanta upon near-death.
But that didn't matter anymore. After fusing with Janna's core, Ryn could now open a passage to the Sea of Quanta on his own.
After entering the Sea of Quanta, Ryn tried looking for Seele first, but just like before, he couldn't find any sign of her.
"I'll come again next time. First, I'll go back to Earth and let them know I'm safe."
Ryn stepped out of the Sea of Quanta, appearing just outside Earth's atmosphere.
The Sea of Quanta brand transit station, recommended by all who've used it.
As soon as Ryn appeared in the solar system, he immediately called out to Cortana.
"Moshi moshi, Cortana, still alive?"
At the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, the slumbering Cortana opened her eyes.
Cortana immediately reconnected to the network to catch up on all the major and minor events that had occurred during the few days she was gone.
"Alive, but not completely alive!"
Cortana replied, both worried and furious, raising the replica Judgment of Shamash. She pierced the whale's body with one strike and shot up from the seabed towards the land.
Because Ryn had suddenly disappeared, the connection between Cortana and Ryn was forcibly severed.
Cortana, who had been flying to Schicksal HQ to help Ryn with research on the Second Divine Key, suddenly lost power, fell from the sky, and sank silently into the Pacific Ocean.
Coincidentally, a nearby hunting whale swallowed the deactivated Cortana in one gulp...
——————————————
Following his connection to Cortana, Ryn prepared to find her first to get an update on any major events from the past few days, and to mentally prepare himself for meeting Kiana and the others. It had been too long, and he was a little nervous.
Before they even met, he saw Cortana charging towards him, gleefully brandishing the Judgment of Shamash. Ryn, happy to be reunited after so long, waved happily at Cortana.
Cortana looked at Ryn's smirking, punchable face, raised the Judgment of Shamash, and unleashed the Might of An-Utu.
"Cortana! Are you crazy! Are you trying to kill your master!"
Ryn quickly used Grips of Taixuan to neutralize and grasp all the energy released by the Might of An-Utu in his hand.
"You found another Retinue and abandoned me! How could you! I worked so diligently for this family, and you just abandoned me!
You just threw me away like that... I was asleep at the bottom of the Pacific for so long, it was so dark and quiet... You bastard! I need an explanation!"
Cortana shouted indignantly, so upset she was on the verge of tears.
"Calm down first. I did subdue another Retinue, but I never abandoned you! I can explain everything!"
"You really did find another Retinue... Explain? I was at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean for four days! I'd like to see how you explain this!
You two-timing scumbag! Abandoning me is one thing, but you even dared to play with another Valkyrie's feelings! Got her pregnant and then tried to run away!"
Cortana angrily held up the Judgment of Shamash greatsword, her eyes practically shooting fire. If Ryn's explanation didn't satisfy her, she was ready to fight him to the death today.
Ryn was silent for a moment, then excitedly grabbed Cortana's shoulders and asked.
"Kiana's pregnant? Or is it Mei? Goodness... It's a good thing the flow of time is different, otherwise I'd be wondering if I'd been cuckolded. Heh, I'm going to be a dad!"
Although Ryn was very excited, Cortana's face grew darker and darker.
"You got her pregnant, and you don't even remember her name!"
Cortana held the Judgment of Shamash greatsword in both hands, guarding her chest as fierce flames erupted from it.
Although it was just a replica of the Judgment of Shamash, the only difference between it and the real one was a Herrscher Core. With Ryn's now inexhaustible supply of Honkai energy, it was capable of unleashing power comparable to the real Judgment of Shamash.
"This greatsword of pure love in my hands constantly reminds me of what I should and shouldn't do... Even if you are my master, NTR must die!"
"Might of An-Utu!"