"This... what is this...?"
Kevin picked up a fragment from the "junk" before him, examining it closely for a long time. But no matter how he looked, the materials seemed entirely ordinary.
With his limited knowledge, he might not know the exact name of every component, but it wasn't difficult to determine that most parts of the "corpse" before him were electronic components.
Overall, the entity he had just killed was undoubtedly a biomechanical android similar to Prometheus...
"No, Kevin... how should I put this... he's likely quite different from Prometheus."
As a MANTIS specializing in psychic perception, it wasn't hard for Su to guess Kevin's thoughts, so he immediately offered a correction.
"Prometheus moves based on 'algorithms,' not 'consciousness'—at least, my psychic senses can't find an equivalent within her. But this guy's presence..."
Su opened his eyes slightly, carefully scrutinizing the electronic components Kevin had pulled from Gray Serpent's remains. After considering for a moment, he stated firmly, "This guy feels like something between a normal human and Prometheus. He definitely possesses a consciousness identical to a human's, but looking at his cerebral components, he seems even more like an artificial intelligence than Prometheus."
"A bit like the Herrscher of Corruption? No, impossible, the Key of Corruption became the Elysian Realm itself. But besides us, there shouldn't be anyone else in this world capable of manufacturing electronic components... Could it be..."
Kevin's tongue felt thick in his mouth. He let out a long sigh.
Their gazes met mid-air, the same possibility dawning in both their minds—
Consciousness transfer surgery!
"Su, are you certain Mobius is dead?"
"Sakura told me at the time. She even tried infusing Honkai Energy into Mobius's body, attempting to trigger Ouroboros's 'shedding' ability, but it didn't work."
Su answered truthfully, but as he spoke, even he began to doubt—
Mobius, could she really die? Did Michael truly kill her?
He glanced at Kevin, whose fists were already clenched tightly.
Kevin's immediate reaction was denial. Admittedly, as their former comrade, Mobius being alive would be cause for celebration and the most logical explanation for this strange creature's existence. Yet, the thought of the dangers hidden behind the possibility of "Mobius is alive" sent a cold sweat down Kevin's back—
If Mobius is alive, then the other Flame-Chasers... then Michael...
Moreover, he had to admit, no matter how much he tried to selectively believe otherwise, the likelihood of Mobius being alive was extremely high.
"Su, do you remember what we found back in Egypt?"
When they arrived in that oasis intending to spread civilization, they discovered a pre-existing cult and faith centered around snakes... and, if one allowed their imagination to run wild, possibly cats too...
And it wasn't just Egypt. There were legends of foxes circulating in the Far East, and now considering Shenzhou, Mount Taixuan, the Celestial Immortal...
He felt as if the world had become a vast, empty chessboard. Before they even noticed, Michael had already made countless moves, placing the entire game under his control.
"Calm down, Kevin." Su shivered slightly and gently patted Kevin's shoulder. If Kevin continued like this, he'd soon turn the autumn steppe into an endless icy plain.
"I know... I know..."
Kevin dropped the component, took a deep breath, seemingly retracting all the chilling energy that had leaked out during his emotional turmoil. But he kept a portion back, enveloping the scattered components at his feet, slowly freezing them solid...
With a sharp crack, the components shattered along with the ice crystals, vanishing without a trace.
"No matter who it is, creating something like this requires a complete industrial system. Have the satellites capture global imagery for analysis. I refuse to believe we can't find it."
Su opened his mouth, then hesitated.
"What is it?"
"Kevin... if it's Michael... does he really need any external equipment?"
"..."
Kevin fell silent for a moment, then sighed deeply. "There's no choice. We'll have to try anything, even a long shot. However, since this thing appeared on the Kipchak Steppe, it means the person behind it—Mobius? Or perhaps Michael—is also concerned about this war. So..."
The best way to uncover the truth was undoubtedly to confront the individual directly. Since they were both invested in this battle, the probability of their paths crossing increased dramatically.
Words left unsaid fifty thousand years ago... now, fifty thousand years later, Kevin believed himself considerably more mature. He anticipated—both feared and eagerly awaited—reuniting with Michael and finally understanding the truth of the world.
"Let's go."
...
The tent flap was listlessly pushed aside. Otto Apocalypse carefully slipped inside, fumbling in the dark to light a candle with his flint and steel. He then placed the single, dim source of light on the small folding stool.
Beside the candlestick lay the pocket watch that Void Archives had transformed into. Otto stared at it, examining it from left and right, finally confirming it was in the same position as when he left, likely untouched.
"Sigh..." Before speaking, he let out a long sigh, though he wasn't sure why.
["Yo, you don't seem to be in a good mood?"]
Void Archives is spouting nonsense again, Otto thought, pursing his lips as he looked at the golden cube, now returned to its original form.
["What? Did Luka Kaslana, the commander-in-chief, reject that crazy plan of yours and your father's?"]
"!" Otto snatched Void Archives, demanding in a low, urgent voice, "That plan! I've never told a third soul! How do you know about it?!"
Before Void Archives could answer, Otto provided the answer himself— "You can see a person's inner thoughts. You can even change a person's inner thoughts, can't you?"
["Tsk!"]
Void Archives vibrated slightly, dissolving into golden light that flowed into Otto's body. But its voice didn't retreat; instead, it resonated directly in Otto's mind: ["Tsk tsk tsk! You overestimate me. What you're describing are things only a god could do, right? If I were a god, would I be reduced to this state?"]
But Otto wasn't buying it. He boldly stated his deduction: "No need to hide it. Back at the riverbank, the reason I survived was because you used some kind of ability, right? Those golden feathers—you think I didn't see them?"
"The reason those Ming soldiers let me go was because you modified their consciousness, made them overlook my existence. Then, my fainting was also your doing, just to stage a 'chance encounter' for yourself, to conceal your true motives, wasn't it?"
"I admit, you succeeded. I still can't figure out what you're truly trying to do!"
Otto knew his deductions were ultimately just speculation, incomplete and full of holes.
For instance, if Void Archives could truly control minds, why not just turn him into a puppet? With such power, it could do whatever it wanted directly; who could stop it? Why bother with these elaborate deceptions?
If it could alter consciousness, why not simply delete or modify his memory of the golden feathers, thus removing such an obvious flaw in its charade?
If it could read minds, why ask the earlier questions? It could simply pluck the answers from his thoughts.
But setting aside all seemingly "rational," seemingly "rigorous" analysis, Otto trusted his intuition above all else—
Controlling minds, modifying minds, reading minds—he believed Void Archives could do all of it. The apparent contradictions, the points that didn't seem logical, felt more like deliberate bait cast out by this entity, waiting for someone curious to bite.
So, the question was, who would be the first to take the bait?
The answer seemed obvious.
However, rather than taking the bait, Otto felt more like he'd been smacked in the face with it and forced to swallow.
How would Void Archives respond?
Otto mentally simulated five or six possibilities. He firmly believed that while he was undoubtedly outmatched in combat prowess, in the arena of intellect, the victor was far from decided.
Hasn't humanity always been this way? They lack the brute strength of tigers and bears, the agility of lions and leopards, the flight of eagles and vultures, the swimming prowess of whales and sharks... In terms of raw physical ability, countless animals far surpass humans. Humanity's sole advantage over them is... intelligence.
Void Archives had said, "those are things only a god could do." But besides the difference in power, are gods truly intellectually superior to humans? Otto refused to believe that.
He knew all his thoughts might be under Void Archives' scrutiny, but so what?
He unreservedly displayed his intellect to Void Archives, mentally listing every possible evasive, topic-changing response it might give.
If Void Archives' reply fell within his predictions, it would undoubtedly be his victory.
What if Void Archives read his mind and deliberately avoided the answers he'd listed?
No matter. Otto was confident he had enumerated all possible non-direct answers. If Void Archives wanted to evade them, it could only give a direct response. He would still win.
Either way, the ultimate winner would be him, Otto Apocalypse.
Even if it was only a mental victory.
Void Archives remained silent for a while. Otto knew it was hesitating, but it was useless. This round, Otto was destined to win!
["Tsk!"] Void Archives clicked its non-existent tongue. ["Is this amusing, Otto?"]
Otto gave a self-deprecating smile, stood up again, walked to the wine cask, and poured himself half a cup of the sour red wine.
But after a moment's thought, he ultimately didn't dare drink the stuff. He just put the cup down, licked his dry, cracked lips, and said, "That's why, Void Archives, you're ultimately not human. You lack contemplation on life. Life itself is a meaningless journey, which is why people find various ways to amuse themselves, to make the originally dull and tedious existence more interesting. I, naturally, am no exception."
"Pfft!" For some reason, Void Archives chuckled, but only for an instant.
"Otto, it is you who is naive. One day you'll discover that the pleasures you currently care about won't actually make your life interesting. Because the true joy of life is singular, and that is..."
"Is what?" Otto didn't seem surprised by Void Archives' sudden philosophical turn, even asking with interest. But the entity stopped short, showing no intention of continuing the topic.
"Alright, I admit, I do possess some abilities related to 'consciousness.' However, I am a being of extremely high moral character. Unless facing an enemy, I rarely probe another's inner thoughts proactively. As you said, life is already tedious; if even that little bit of uncertainty in interpersonal communication disappears... that would be far too cruel."
A slight smile touched Otto's lips. He felt he understood something, but he didn't dare let those nebulous speculations linger in his mind for too long.
"So, what actually happened? You weren't in a good mood when you first came back."
Otto didn't answer immediately. Instead, he picked up the cup of sour wine he had just disdained and brought it towards his mouth.
["Wait."] Just as the rim neared his lower lip, Void Archives stopped him, as if intentionally timing it perfectly.
"What is it?"
Void Archives didn't answer, but Otto clearly saw a cup identical to the one in his hand materialize on the stool before him, filled with clear water.
Otto narrowed his eyes. Putting down the wine cup, he mentally tried to fathom the deeper meaning behind Void Archives' action.
Did it put something in the water? No, with its abilities, that would be completely unnecessary.
Surely it couldn't be simple concern?
Otto chuckled dryly. Without hesitation, he raised the cup of clear water, clinked it against the empty space where Void Archives presumably was, and drained it in one gulp.
"Now can you tell me what happened?" Otto gestured at the empty cup. Void Archives chuckled coldly and instantly refilled the empty cup.
After this repeated several times, Otto let out a long, satisfied sigh, his expression turning somewhat somber.
"What did you guess earlier? You thought Luka Kaslana refused my father's secret orders, and that's why I was upset?"
["Wasn't that it? Kaslanas can't tolerate deceit. The fact that he didn't arrest you and throw you back to Kolosten already greatly exceeded my expectations."]
"Undeniably, you know Kaslanas well, but perhaps you misunderstand humans. The Kaslana family, as a macroscopic entity, certainly possesses an identical stubbornness and sense of justice. But when you break it down to individuals, numerous variations appear—unfortunately for your prediction, Kallen's uncle, Luka Kaslana, is not exactly a typical Kaslana."
["Tsk! He actually agreed?"]
"He didn't have much choice..." Otto swirled the contents of his cup; the dim candlelight flickered incessantly within it.
"With the war going like this, unless something goes wrong within the Ming Empire itself, Schicksal has no chance of victory. And upon defeat, who knows what will happen to Europe, to Schicksal, to the Apocalypse family... but the Kaslana family, as the house of the front-line commander-in-chief, will undoubtedly bear the brunt of the criticism. As the head of the Kaslana family, he naturally wants to avoid that. Therefore, faced with the only possibility of turning the tide, he had no reason to refuse."
"Then you..."
"Void Archives, in your mind, what kind of person am I, Otto Apocalypse, exactly?"
"..."
"Alright, I was just venting a little."
["But... you didn't say anything?"]
Otto didn't answer. Instead, he blew out the candle with one breath and lay down fully clothed on the narrow camp bed.
The summer night was oppressively hot. His thin shirt and bedding quickly became soaked with sweat. Added to that were the numerous mosquitoes buzzing incessantly around the steppe. Otto's breathing, initially even, became ragged.
["What's wrong? Can't sleep? Want to get up and chat some more?"]
Otto rolled over, facing the inside of the tent, silent.
["Otto, you... actually..."]
"Enough!"
["No, I just wanted to ask, if I remember correctly... Otto, your mother's surname was Schariac, wasn't it?"]
"Hmm?" Otto couldn't comprehend Void Archives' erratic train of thought, but he made no effort to hide it. "Yes. So what?"
["Nothing. You should get some proper sleep first."]
Otto wanted to say more, but suddenly felt his consciousness grow incredibly heavy—déjà vu...
That was his last thought before plunging into a sweet dream.
The summer night breeze, thick with the stickiness of sweat, lifted a small corner of the tent flap, allowing silvery moonlight to spill silently into the tent.
Thus, it outlined a second figure in the room.
Michael sat on the small folding stool beside the camp bed, his gaze as cold and clear as the moonlight.
"Otto, so you too can feel vexation, pain, remorse? Even knowing it's all for Kallen, you still can't forgive yourself for the sins you have committed and are about to commit? Right... after all, half the blood flowing in your veins is mine and hers... However, I still must say..."
"Otto Apocalypse... at least, the current Otto Apocalypse... is merely this..."
Michael watched his sleeping expression gradually become peaceful, even somewhat content, and sighed softly.
"Good night. Sweet dreams."