Chapter 157: The Truth of Project Stigma? Sister Rita Flips the Car!
Senti had no idea that her "prophecy" would one day come true.
In the game, after the initial clash between Kiana and Rita, the new stage introduced a side story—within the Taixu Illusion created by the Eighth Divine Key, Fu Hua warned Kiana that what she had learned in the past was not enough to face the coming crisis. Therefore, Fu Hua intended to teach Kiana more techniques here to make her stronger.
Kiana did not slack off as she had done at St. Freya Academy. She understood clearly that learning more skills here would allow her to face future crises with more composure. In this special Taixu Illusion, time flowed differently from the real world, giving Kiana ample time to train under Fu Hua's guidance.
[Fenghuang Down has this kind of use?]
[Whoa, a Hyperbolic Time Chamber?]
[My Squad Leader is so amazing, she actually has such a move?]
[True, the Tuna is too weak right now. Training in the Taixu Illusion for a while will give her a better chance against future dangers!]
[No wonder she was so strong against Rita; looks like she suffered a lot under Fu Hua's training!]
[Sigh, it's really sentimental. Kiana finally found Fu Hua for "tutoring," but things have changed so much....]
[Those peaceful daily routines are gone forever.... But now, Kiana can only keep moving forward.]
"Old Timer, your Fenghuang Down is that powerful? If you had that in reality and used it on us Taixu Sect disciples, wouldn't everyone become a martial arts master!" Senti marveled at the power of the Divine Key, her face full of admiration.
"Mhm.... I just don't know how much Kiana can learn in such a short time...." Fu Hua took a deep breath. "But regardless, gaining more skills is a good thing. They will definitely be useful for her later."
"Sigh, I'm really emotional, Old Timer. Kiana used to slack off at the Valkyrie Academy, but now she's honestly accepting your training.... Heh, while it's good she's motivated, it feels bittersweet." Senti scratched her head irritably. "It's all that guy Otto's fault! I have to tell Su Mu to arrange a fight between me and Otto! I have to give that annoying face a punch!!"
In the subsequent plot: Rita took the "evidence" Kiana gave her—an injection syringe of a type she recognized as Schicksal's standard issue. There was also a data card with the Heliopolis Life Sciences logo, clearly a key to certain gates. Kiana's parting words had left a sliver of doubt in her heart, which intensified into curiosity over time.
Alvitr, the "best tool," sent a comm stating that the syringe was indeed one of the vaccines provided by Schicksal to Heliopolis. However, the liquid inside had been replaced—or rather, modified. Based on the original vaccine, it had been turned into a sort of activator that significantly boosted a human's Honkai resistance! On the surface, the medicine didn't seem harmful to the human body... This made Rita wonder: what exactly was Heliopolis Life Sciences trying to do?
At that moment, Alvitr informed Rita about the Stigmata seen on the zombies during that night's operation. Rita realized that what was happening in Arc City was far more troublesome than she had imagined. Stigmata were a technology only equipped by Schicksal Valkyries. Its appearance on ordinary zombies meant only two possibilities: either someone was turning Valkyries into zombies, or someone was experimenting with Stigmata implantation on ordinary people.
Regardless of the possibility... Rita prepared to head to Heliopolis Life Sciences to find out their true goal. She knew the gravity of the situation; one wrong move could cost the lives of millions in Arc City. Right now, Rita's primary target was no longer K-423.
[I didn't expect Rita to care so much about Arc City's safety....]
[Yeah, to find out what Heliopolis is doing, she even put the Tuna aside.]
[True, Rita isn't as bad as I thought.]
[She is a Schicksal S-rank Valkyrie, after all. She definitely wants to fight the Honkai and save innocents.]
[But... if she cares that much, why didn't she stop Otto? If Otto hadn't awakened the Herrscher of the Void, the Eruption wouldn't have happened and so many people wouldn't be displaced....]
[Maybe Rita has her own difficulties? And you know Otto; maybe he deceived both Rita and Durandal.]
Seeing Rita prioritize the investigation and temporarily drop the hunt for Kiana, the viewers were surprised. But on reflection, it made sense. Both Durandal and Rita seemed to have their own principles. During the Herrscher disaster, Durandal had told Fu Hua that they had their own standpoints and could not help her. Both knew Fu Hua's mission was nearly suicidal, and Rita didn't want to see her die in vain. From these details, Durandal and Rita might be enemies of the protagonists, but they were certainly not "villains."
In the game, Rita's infiltration was detected by Raven and Jackal. The two set a trap for her. Their conversation revealed that the "experiment" would affect everyone in the city.
["Schicksal possesses great power, but they have always fooled humanity for their own gain, making people believe that relying on their protection makes the world safe."]
["As long as Schicksal exists, humanity will be like weak lambs in a pen, only knowing how to seek shelter."]
["The times are different now. The Great Lord has returned. He will sweep away Schicksal's grip on the world. What we must do is let the world transform and be reborn under his guidance."]
Jackal's speech analyzed the world's current state. Undoubtedly, as an anti-Honkai organization, Schicksal was currently the strongest. While Otto had selfish desires, the Valkyries under him truly protected humanity. Over the years, countless Valkyries had sacrificed themselves, many remaining anonymous. They used their lives to save others—they were true heroes.
However, the more heroic the Valkyries appeared, the more the viewers felt a sense of bitterness and irony.
[The Valkyries are heroes, but the organization they belong to and that man, Otto Apocalypse, are completely insane!]
[Otto has been using various ways to protect the Honkai and committed so many atrocities for his own greed.... Those Valkyries were likely kept in the dark the whole time, fighting for faith and duty until they died, never knowing that the source of Schicksal was already rotten!]
[But looking at it now, World Serpent isn't any better than Schicksal, right? At least Otto puts up a front and saves people. World Serpent's behavior shows they want to use the entire city for an experiment!]
[Anti-Entropy really is the best. I miss you, Dr. Tesla! Dr. Einstein!]
[Wait, Cocolia has done plenty of inhuman things too!]
[But at least Welt Yang's resolve as a Herrscher to protect humanity is real! Einstein and Tesla also want to save people from the Honkai!]
[Anti-Entropy's Welt is for protection, Schicksal's Otto is for resurrecting a lover, and Kevin.... Does Kevin really not know World Serpent is using Arc City for experiments? He hasn't stopped them. What does that mean?]
[It means Kevin tacitly approves—maybe he even agrees.... He's an anti-Honkai warrior, but don't forget what he said in the Sea of Quanta! 'No matter the cost'.... Those citizens are likely just part of the 'cost' to him!]
[Exactly. Kevin only wants to defeat the Honkai; he never mentioned protecting humanity!]
The dialogue between Raven and Jackal was an epiphany for the viewers. Combined with previous lore, they understood that Anti-Entropy, Schicksal, and World Serpent all had different ideologies! The viewers quickly realized that World Serpent was an organization that would do anything to defeat the Honkai!
After infiltrating Heliopolis, Rita searched for evidence and gained a lot of information. All signs pointed to a terrifying answer—one that even shocked Rita. To find the hard proof, Rita took a risk and entered the depths of the facility. She ordered the Immortal Blades members to stand by. Aided by the mecha hound from her Umbral Rose armor, she reached the inner sanctum.
What met her eyes was a hall of staggering scale, but the sight within was even more shocking. rows upon rows of experimental pods were lined up. The test subjects floating inside were both familiar and strange to Rita.
Zombies!
On the skin of these "walking corpses" that Rita had fought countless times, fine lines intertwined to form glowing marks.
Stigmata.
Until Schicksal developed artificial Stigmata, in the long history of humanity, only a very few chosen by fate would manifest such unique marks. Rita grit her teeth, staring at the faces in the containers. There were no familiar faces. She sighed in relief, but in its place, a stronger rage surged with her blood.
The viewers saw Rita angry for the first time. In the Captains' minds, Rita had always been an elegant, perfect, slightly "black-bellied" maid. She always seemed to maintain a smile. In her work, she was as cold as ice—decisive, swift, and clean. But now, this angry version of Rita made the audience realize: this Valkyrie was not a cold-blooded killer. She was a human with blood and flesh. She could feel pain and pity for the tragic fate of ordinary people. And she felt pure rage and hatred toward World Serpent for such cruel acts!
Rita observed the subjects. They varied in height, size, and age. Some had Honkai beast tissue implanted, their skin covered in white silicon-based shells. Some had parts of their bodies removed and replaced with cybernetics. It was like a grotesque museum of humanity, showing just how far a human body could be modified!
The scene depicted on the screen made the viewers shiver!
[What on earth are those World Serpent freaks doing in Arc City!]
[This is pure human experimentation!]
[No one Rita knows is inside, which means her second guess was correct! Those zombies with Stigmata were modified from ordinary citizens!]
[Men, women, young and old... how many innocent lives has World Serpent ruined?!]
[I take it back, World Serpent is actually worse than Schicksal!]
[What is Kevin thinking! Experimenting on so many innocent people.... is he really a hero for doing this?!]
[Maybe it wasn't Kevin's direct order?]
[But Kevin can't be unaware of this. If it wasn't his order, he still chose to tolerate it, didn't he?]
At this moment, the audience was furious. Human experimentation broke all moral boundaries; it was madness! They had hoped Kevin's arrival would bring hope to the Honkai world, but now... hope was uncertain, but these ordinary people used for experiments wouldn't even see tomorrow's sun! How many of them were innocent, whose fathers, wives, or children... Now they were soaked in cold nutrient fluid, their bodies modified beyond recognition!
Next, the files Rita found on the computer made the viewers' blood run cold. Stigmata were not products of natural evolution, but a biological miracle of the Previous Era. Before their civilization perished, they inoculated a complex Honkai antibody genome into a few descendants' embryos. These genomes would construct marks on the human body—the Stigmata. Humans carrying Stigmata had stronger Honkai resistance and control, manifesting incredible powers.
But unfortunately, through human hereditary lineages, genes constantly mutated and exchanged. The original complete Stigmata genome eventually dispersed. Therefore, although every modern human carries Stigmata genes, those who can naturally express them are few and far between! Schicksal's artificial Stigmata were a crude imitation, full of flaws and danger!
Under World Serpent's "enlightenment," they knew how to use artificial intervention to activate and reconstitute the hidden Stigmata fragments in human genes. But this process was exceptionally difficult. Those who couldn't endure it would die or become zombies! Those who survived would have the power to live through the Honkai!
World Serpent was preparing to execute Project Stigma in Arc City. Once implemented, in a city of millions, those who survived would likely number less than a hundred!
World Serpent's actions made Kiana in reality clench her fists: "Experimenting on an entire city's population? They're insane! What do they think human lives are? Do millions of lives mean nothing to World Serpent!"
"It seems World Serpent chose another extreme path," Rita's expression was also cold. "Risking the entire city as an experimental ground—their goal is likely to screen out those with the ability to fight the Honkai and absorb them into the organization...."
"Why are those guys even fighting the Honkai then?" Kiana looked enraged. "To fight the Honkai, they sacrifice so many innocent lives! Even if World Serpent succeeds and most of humanity is dead, does that victory have any meaning? It's too demented!"
[Now I know why Old Yang had to seal Kevin in the Sea of Quanta!]
[This plan is literally inhumane! A city of millions and only a hundred survive? If this plan goes global, how many would be left??]
[What's the point of defeating the Honkai this way? Humanity would be extinct! Not to mention, are the survivors of this experiment even 'human' anymore?]
In Senti's livestream: Senti was also lamenting: "Now Kevin really has become a big villain! I didn't understand why Old Yang sealed him at first, but now I feel Old Yang wasn't extreme enough! It would have been great if Old Yang could have swapped places with Kevin in the Sea of Quanta!"
"Sigh...." Fu Hua's expression was complex. "I can understand Kevin, but I don't agree with his methods." "To Kevin, the Honkai is an enemy that must be defeated. For this obsession, he likely went mad long ago. He was a witness to the destruction of the Previous Era and carries a blood feud. It's 'normal' for him to do whatever it takes for revenge."
Senti curled her lip: "Wait, Old Timer, aren't you a survivor of the Previous Era too? You aren't that extreme! As a Pioneer, you carry the duty of protecting humanity and its knowledge, waiting for future humans to grow! In my eyes, only you, Old Timer, deserve the title of 'Hero'!"
"But.... did I really fulfill my duty in the game?" Fu Hua sighed, looking at the screen. The entire city was in peril. As the guardian of Shenzhou, she was bound to Kiana because of the Zeroth Power.... Watching Arc City suffer, seeing innocents turned into test subjects, and that cruel Project Stigma... Fu Hua couldn't help but clench her fists. Now, she could only place her hopes on Kiana and Rita.
"Though I want Rita to smash this place to bits, for some reason, I feel like things are going south?" Senti stared at the screen. She felt that Rita discovering the secret at this juncture was a sign of trouble! "Raven and Jackal said it too: when someone finds a secret, that's when they are most vigilant.... Crap, Rita fell for it!"
[Holy crap? Is Rita going to flip the car?]
[Raven and Jackal are clearly prepared; this is a total trap!]
[No way, right? Rita is a Schicksal S-rank Valkyrie; she can't flip that easily?]
[You don't become an S-rank without some skill, right? Rita is weaker than Durandal, but surely she won't fail in a gutter like this?]
[Right, plus the Immortal Blades are outside to back her up! They're Schicksal elites, not easy to deal with!]
The chat had a mysterious confidence in Rita, mostly because the title of "S-rank Valkyrie" sounded imposing. Rita's performance so far hadn't been bad either, giving the impression that this black-bellied maid was deep and always had a trick up her sleeve.
But...
In the office, Su Mu, who was hopping between Senti's and Guinaifen's streams, had an indescribable expression.
Well.... In his previous life, although Bronya was joked about as the "Legend of Never Winning" from the moment she became the Herrscher of Reason, Mei was called the "Cooking Queen" because aside from cooking, she was mostly known for rolling around on the ground during fights—before her awakening, she truly couldn't do much besides cook. She was beaten by Kiana with a baseball bat, captured by mechs, and choked during Queen's Descent.... After getting her Danzai Spectramancer armor, she was beaten senseless by Rita.
But strictly speaking, look at Bronya's opponents. That was Kevin! Forget Bronya; it's debatable if all modern era people combined could even take a swing at Kevin. And the Cooking Queen... well, she really was just cooking.
If we're talking about S-rank Valkyries, Rita was a more heavyweight "L-taker" than those two! She was like Shijima Go in Kamen Rider Drive, Banjo Ryuga in Build, or Myokoin Geiz in Zi-O.... Okay, maybe not the latter two, since Ryuga and Geiz fought some serious monsters. Go had a legendary "Father-Son" scene, but what did our Great Rita-sensei have?
Our Great Rita-sensei had a scene where she fought a cat so intensely she was panting and sweating, only for the cat to be taken down bare-handed by Durandal—literally turning into "even Stan is afraid of me!" So... it was quite ridiculous.
You'd find that Rita was a goddess at slaughtering mooks—she truly mastered the art of "smurfing"—but when it came to critical moments, she'd drop the ball. It really made people want to ask: Rita-sensei, did you spend too much time in low-rank lobbies? Do you just crumble in high-pressure games?
Sigh! But then again, while Rita flipped the car often, her smurfing was truly ruthless! Like "farming potatoes" during a Battlefield sale, playing Gold tier in APEX with three stacks, smurfing in Iron in Valorant, or fighting the Mist Noble in Sekiro... Aside from smurfing, her career was quite "impressive." Have you ever seen an S-rank Valkyrie like this? Truly "Godly"?
Banter aside, Rita had strength. Being chosen as an S-rank was proof of that. It was just that her teammates and colleagues weren't "human" (in terms of power). Moreover, Rita had two living parents—in this kind of world, having both parents alive is a pure debuff. Regardless, Rita was a one-in-a-million genius.
Actually, Rita's situation was similar to Himeko's. Neither had natural Stigmata, Herrscher Cores, Signets, or Fusion factors. Of course, strictly speaking, Rita obtained some world bubble power later. But Himeko also wore the Vermilion Knight.... though the price was her life. The former became an S-rank through honing her skills. The latter, even after getting an artificial Stigma at 19, honed the "strength of an ordinary person" through ten thousand swings, becoming the ace of the Far East Branch, standing with gods as a mortal to pave the way to tomorrow for her students.
Su Mu looked at the chat. Clearly, the naive players didn't realize what was about to happen. This made Su Mu sentimental; when he first played this part, he also thought Rita would have a backup plan. But as it turned out, aside from having her squad on standby, she had nothing.
In the stream, Raven appeared on the screen, mocking Rita's infiltration. Then, the monsters in the experimental pods jumped out, surrounding Rita. Rita ordered the Immortal Blades to prepare for battle. She gripped her scythe, facing Raven's mockery with a cold expression.
["Do you truly understand what kind of opponent you have picked? If World Serpent thinks they can eliminate a Schicksal Valkyrie with just these things, I can only offer my deepest sympathies."]
Clearly, Rita had absolute confidence in her strength. These monsters alone could not stop her path.
END OF CHAPTER
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