"Ahem, I have a proposal."
At the long conference table, a Grey Serpent sitting in the corner spoke up.
"Since we can't change the current situation, we should learn to adapt. Project Stigma was revised over a dozen times by our esteemed Dr. Mobius."
"Why don't we go to the Elysian Realm and ask for her guidance on the verification method for Project Stigma, and abandon Jackal's excessively bloody method that's bound to draw the encirclement and suppression of two major factions?"
"Hah? You think those mere Remnants in the Elysian Realm are qualified to make me revise my plan?"
Jackal snorted coldly: "Borrowing Raven's words from earlier, as a cadre, only the Master has the qualification to order me. The Remnants in the Elysian Realm don't have that qualification yet."
"Jackal!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the radical Grey Serpent sitting beside Jackal broke out in a cold sweat first.
Before this, although he knew Jackal was somewhat arrogant and conceited, and even knew she might have had some unpleasantness with the Remnants inside during her Elysian Realm trial, he never, ever expected this guy to dare say such things within World Serpent.
You must know, apart from the various Grey Serpent representatives, everyone present here were World Serpent cadres who had passed the Elysian Realm trials.
They had basically all received teachings from the Flame-Chasers.
Spouting such opinions in a place like this... it's only because World Serpent's structure is relatively unorthodox, with Grey Serpents overseeing each link, that Jackal wasn't thrown into the sea to feed the fish by the fanatical cadres right after the meeting ended.
"Jackal, do not be rude. The Master within the Elysian Realm is also the Master."
"Apart from lacking a physical form capable of acting in the present world, She is just like the Master Herself. Have you forgotten this rule?!"
"Alright, my bad, my bad."
Jackal raised her hands, nonchalantly saying: "But, the Elysian Realm has no decision-making power, and doesn't even interfere with our decisions. That's also one of the default rules."
"As Remnants... let's wait until they find a way to sustain themselves in reality first."
"Moreover, even if they really came out, what if the Remnants inside made decisions contrary to the Master's will? Who should we listen to then? I don't care about others, but as for me, I only take orders from Master Kevin alone."
"Alright, Jackal... The Master is not here right now, and you don't need to flaunt your loyalty."
Grey Serpent 1904 said flatly.
Grey Serpent 1904, a legendary figure among the Grey Serpents.
He enjoyed writing poetry and liked caring for children very much.
In the future Final War, he would perish together with the Original Grey Serpent, turning the remaining Grey Serpents into [human] existences.
At this moment, as a relatively 'dovish' Grey Serpent representative, he sat right beside Raven.
"This isn't me flaunting loyalty. As tools, we naturally must have the awareness of tools."
Jackal glanced at Raven, implying something: "That goes for Remnants, and it goes for certain people too."
"If you truly think that way, then it only shows that as a cadre, you not only know nothing about World Serpent, but also know nothing about the Masters, those thirteen great existences."
Grey Serpent 1904 sighed and said: "Moreover, you seem to have gone off topic. What we are discussing is whether we should launch a raid on the Oceania Branch, not whether the Masters in the Elysian Realm can command us."
"Fine, let's return to the previous topic."
Jackal cleared her throat: "Right now, if we want to obtain Herrscher Cores, we simply have no other choice."
"I've emphasized multiple times before about the difficulty of obtaining the several cores besides Wendy's, so no need to repeat it. And just recently, I obtained another very reliable piece of news."
"The Gem of Desire experiment over at the Oceania Branch has already made a breakthrough. In the physical fitness tests, Wendy's current strength has recovered to the level of a B-Rank Valkyrie."
"Combined with the bit of Authority she has mastered, she can be considered to have some combat capability now."
"But, if we don't act now, and wait a few months until Wendy fully masters the Authority of the Herrscher of Wind, her combat power won't be this weakling level anymore, and we will completely lose the possibility of seizing the Herrscher Core by force."
As Jackal's voice fell, the atmosphere in the conference room became somewhat oppressive for a moment.
"Wait, Jackal..."
Just then, Raven suddenly spoke up: "If I remember correctly, you shouldn't have your own intelligence network, right?"
"If it wasn't Grey Serpent who gave you the message, then where did this intelligence come from?"
"I read it in the 'Science Frontier' journal published by Schicksal."
Jackal said as if it were obvious.
"..."
The conference room fell into silence once again, only this time the atmosphere covering the room was one of speechlessness.
The radical Grey Serpent had already weakly covered his face with his hand.
Why did he ever ally himself with someone like this? But what's done is done, and he couldn't exactly change teammates now. Therefore, he could only stand up and say.
"Since everyone here has no objections and can't come up with a better method, then the mission to raid Oceania is settled."
"..."
Matters having reached this point, even though Grey Serpent 1904 didn't quite agree with this plan, the silence of the majority had already equated to stating their stance.
So, he merely sighed and said: "I have no objections. However, Wendy is a Herrscher who has awakened her humanity. According to the Master's directive, you cannot kill her."
"Don't worry, World Serpent's goal is to need a core from the current civilization. Whether it's just a core alone, or a core carried by a person, it doesn't matter."
The radical Grey Serpent nodded.
"Hah? Can't kill her? Then what about my previous plan to study the Herrscher's body structure... Fine, fine, fine, let's forget about it for now."
Noticing the glares from several people around her, Jackal wisely changed the subject: "However, for this mission, Raven, you still have to participate."
"Otherwise, relying only on my fused Honkai Beasts, Titan mechs, and Grey Serpents, while we can probably win, it would be difficult to achieve a quick victory."
"I refuse, Jackal."
Raven bluntly raised the terminal in her hand, displaying the agreements she signed with Grey Serpent upon both occasions she joined World Serpent.
"On both occasions when I joined World Serpent, I clearly confirmed that if future World Serpent tasks involved the Second Herrscher Sirin or Lynelle, I have the right to abandon that task and interfere with it based on my own judgment."
"Now I suspect that Lynelle is in Oceania, so I'm not participating in this mission. Is that acceptable now?"
"What, you!"
Jackal's barely suppressed temper flared up again immediately: "Lynelle is in Oceania too, is she? If Lynelle is really in Oceania, I'll eat this computer screen on the spot!"
"World Serpent only signed that kind of contract with you back then out of pity, and now you're using it as a shield to avoid tasks?"
"Lucky for you Sirin died long ago, or else would you also suspect Sirin is in Oceania? Wait until that Lynelle dies someday, then you'll extend the contract to that Kiana, and then use your contract to avoid every task, freeloading off World Serpent's payroll, right?"
"Jackal, if you're bad, practice more."
Due to certain butterfly effects, Raven had absolutely no goodwill towards this anti-human scientist who shouted all day about dissecting Herrschers and eliminating all civilians who hadn't awakened Stigmata.
Therefore, she argued against Jackal without any restraint.
"If you're really so dedicated, then you'd better go optimize your synthetic Honkai Beast technology. Stop getting beaten like a stray cat on the roadside every time you encounter Durandal, barely escaping yourself."
"That would make things easier for me, so I don't have to always act as the enforcer for someone like you."
"Can't get the Honkai Beast fusion right, haven't optimized the Quantum Titan technology obtained from Cocolia till now, the clone Welt technology can't proceed because of some missing data…"
"Seems to me you're the one slacking off all day under the name of Project Stigma, aren't you?"
"You!"
"Alright, alright..."
The headache-ridden radical Grey Serpent hurriedly stood up, separating the two who were about to start arguing again, then took out a voice recorder: "Since you don't want to participate in this mission, Raven, I won't force you."
"However, for a mission of this level, it definitely needs to be archived. So..."
Grey Serpent pointed the recorder at Raven: "Repeat your reason one more time, I need to follow procedure."
"Fine."
Raven was also happy that the other side stopped pestering: "Because I have obtained reliable intelligence, I suspect that Lynelle is currently in Oceania."
"Therefore, according to my cadre contract, I have the right to refuse participation in this operation."
"Good, that's settled then."
Grey Serpent put away the voice recorder: "In that case, we will execute this mission ourselves."
"Relevant records will be reported to the Master during the next routine communication after the mission concludes. Meeting adjourned."
Instantly, projections one after another vanished from the conference room, and those who attended the meeting with their real bodies also left one by one.
"I'm telling you, these guys are really sick."
After the meeting, Raven walked side by side with Grey Serpent 1904 and couldn't help but complain:
"They know full well I don't get along with that Jackal, yet they keep trying to drag me into missions. I just don't get it. If Oceania is really as weak as they say, then why insist on adding me?"
"The reasons are simple. One is that they also don't want to bear the reputation of being arbitrary and high-handed."
"After all, taking action against a Herrscher with humanity does indeed go against the Master's ideas, so they want shared responsibility to avoid punishment."
"As for the other..."
Grey Serpent 1904 sneered: "Jackal didn't tell you the whole story. That Wendy in Oceania is actually also a sniper user."
"In their original plan, they probably never intended to let this Fourth Herrscher live."
"They'd just take Seven Thunders of Retribution, fire a shot, and her body would be left with nothing but the Herrscher core. Then someone just needs to take the core and escape. Simple, fast, and low losses."
"But if you don't participate, lacking Seven Thunders of Retribution, they'll have to mobilize manpower and resources to fight a large-scale battle instead..."
"However, by the way."
Reaching an exit of the base, Grey Serpent 1904 suddenly stopped and looked back to ask.
"Raven, you said Lynelle is in Oceania... is that your guess or do you have evidence? Or did you just make up a reason offhand?"
"Of course I just made it up."
Raven said, somewhat strangely: "The members in Oceania are all people brought over by Ragna. There's no way we could infiltrate them, so how could we possibly have accurate intel like that?"
"Hmm... alright."
Grey Serpent 1904 shrugged: "I was just thinking... that Stigma of Master Elysia that Lynelle possesses seems to be able to briefly let Master Elysia possess her."
"If she has other similar powers, and if she really is in Oceania..."
"Then things are probably going to get very interesting."
Meanwhile, on the other side, Jackal, having finished the meeting, also arrived at a sealed room.
In her hand was the voice recorder Grey Serpent had used earlier. She then opened a communication device that looked very complex and precise.
A moment later, the communication connected. A beautiful woman with long white hair and an alluring, curvaceous figure appeared on the other end of the communication.
"Hare."
Jackal said solemnly: "We are preparing a plan recently and need your participation."
"Killing or saving?"
"Capturing. The target is a Herrscher who hasn't mastered her Authority yet, plus some not-too-strong Valkyries."
"Not going."
"Your opponent won't be those Valkyries, but that Herrscher."
"Not going."
"..."
Jackal sighed. Although she was prepared for this peculiar colleague's quirks, conversing with this 'inhuman' colleague was indeed somewhat infuriating.
"Hear me out first."
Raven had already clearly stated she wouldn't participate in the mission. Now, no matter how furious Jackal was, she had to calm down a bit and get this heavy hitter to join the mission.
"We have obtained reliable intelligence that Lynelle, whom you care so much about, happens to be in Oceania right now. If you participate in the mission, you can easily run into her."
The gentle-looking woman on the screen stood up.
"Evidence?"
"Evidence provided by Raven. If it's wrong, don't come looking for me."
Jackal turned on the voice recorder. Raven's voice slowly emanated from it.
[Because I have obtained reliable intelligence, I suspect that Lynelle is currently in Oceania. Therefore, according to my cadre contract, I have the right to refuse participation in this operation.]
"..."
The other end of the communication fell into silence.
Just as Jackal was wondering if the communication had malfunctioned, Hare suddenly spoke.
"I understand. Give me the time, location, and mission brief. Also, prepare an operation plan that doesn't affect residential areas along the way. You are aware of my constitution."
"Currently, I can only somewhat control the Honkai energy radiation on my body. If I encounter civilians with zero Honkai energy resistance, it will still cause them significant harm."
"Good, good, good..."
Seeing Hare finally agree to participate in the mission, Jackal breathed a sigh of relief.
"Still... just what kind of magic does this Lynelle have? How is it that every one of you is so fixated on her..."
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T/N: its cause she's bottom elysia, making it 100% more tantalizing yk
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T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.