In truth, Kevin wasn't the only one present who considered the possibility that Ling ke could foresee the future.
After all, high-ranking members of World Serpent were eligible to enter the Elysian Realm and undergo its trials.
While not everyone could meet all the Flame-Chasers, especially not Aponia, who had deliberately concealed herself and merged her consciousness with the Elysian Realm over fifty thousand years ago…
Raiden Mei had done it.
She had witnessed the memories of every Flame-Chaser.
Therefore…
"So, that's how it was."
Standing by the observation window, she gazed at the black-haired youth's silhouette in the sealed chamber, her expression darkening.
If Ling ke truly possessed the ability to foresee the future, then…
Then the first thing he thought of was how to help me.
If I'd chosen to trust him back then, I could have prevented so much tragedy.
Both the tragedies that befell me, and those that ravaged Nagazora.
Even now…
The regret landed all at once.
Too late.
The Calamity has already awakened.
They helped bring it about.
Conflict is inevitable now.
But even so…
"I'm so—"
BOOM!
The apology died on her lips.
Everyone felt a sudden lurch beneath their feet.
Then came the sickening sensation of weightlessness.
What?!
Nearly every face pressed against the observation windows registered horror.
They realized the truth immediately…
Schicksal Headquarters was falling.
Meanwhile, inside a sealed chamber where space had been locked by the Cosmic Juggernaut, Dominance Puppet: Lingk e wore a malicious, mocking grin.
Just moments ago, even as he sparred verbally with representatives from the Three Major Organizations, their main forces had already secured the Moon.
Now, the game was won.
Dozens of colossal meteorites were hurtling toward Earth's surface at breakneck speed.
Lingke, watching from the shadows, decided this "first conversation" had run its course.
His meticulously crafted, malevolent plan didn't require him to meet with so many people at once. To separate the representatives from the Three Major Organizations and make them come to "him" in batches, he needed to…
"First, throw out a crucial topic they can't ignore, and simultaneously… create a crisis that only top-tier combatants can handle."
"For instance: a meteorite disaster identical to the one during the Second Eruption years ago."
In the Theater of Dominance, Lingke's true body smirked and took a leisurely sip of the red wine at hand.
Truth be told, he used to find this stuff unpalatable.
But now, he was slowly developing a taste for it.
Of course, what he truly relished most these days was… the game.
This colossal game set on the Earth of the Honkai Impact 3rd world, with him personally immersed in it.
Main Quest: Soul-Crushing, Precise Vengeance.
Side Quest: Massacre, Frenzied Carnage.
In Progress!!!
-----
Meanwhile…
"Damn it!"
The sudden weightlessness threw the Three Major Organizations' top brass into panic. Schicksal Headquarters was a floating island. If this thing fell from the sky…
"Mophead, Bronya, get over here and help!"
Despite her fiery temper, Tesla's crisis adaptability was remarkable. She barked the order while already working the electronic devices embedded in her arm. Einstein had pulled out a palm-sized device and started manipulating it before Tesla even called her "Mophead." Bronya joined half a beat later, virtual screens blooming around her as she synced into the defense.
"Amber, assist them."
"Yes, Lord Overseer!"
Otto's secretary nodded and shared the architectural blueprints of Schicksal's electronic security system with the three of them.
But the Dominance Puppet: Shadows came in a wave. Over a hundred of them, each matching the trio's hacking skill; on numbers alone, the horde overwhelmed Bronya's team. The Shadows had prepared the attack, while her side was reacting after the fact.
"We can't regain control before the floating island crashes!" Tesla shouted. "We need another plan!"
"Emergency evacuation—now!" Durandal declared.
Otto didn't object.
But Otto knew it. Kevin knew it. Even Welt had come to realize the terrifying truth: if Schicksal Headquarters was already plummeting, Lingke's Dominance Puppet army wouldn't just stand by and watch. These puppets feared no death. They'd gladly trade lives in this critical moment.
Kevin wasn't afraid for himself. The strongest Fusion Warrior didn't fear a falling island. But the tens of thousands of staff permanently stationed at Schicksal Headquarters faced certain death if nothing changed.
So he moved.
He didn't use the Seventh Divine Key, the Key of Destruction, the Heavenly Flame Tribunal. He smashed the observation window's reinforced glass with a single punch and leapt into the sealed cell that the Cosmic Juggernaut had already locked down.
In an instant, he stood face-to-face with the Dominance Puppet: Lingke.
"State your terms!"
The black-haired youth before him, however…
?
Dominance Puppet: Lingke startled.
He hadn't expected the one person he most wanted to meet in private to appear so quickly.
He surveyed his surroundings… Utter chaos reigned. Everyone else was too busy saving their own skins to notice anything. The prerequisites were met.
Therefore…
"I'm going to enter the Elysian Realm." Lingke's true body spoke through the puppet's mouth. "Remember, I'm going in alone."
"..."
Kevin didn't immediately agree. But time was running out; silence was no longer an option. After a few tense seconds, he demanded, "What are you really up to?"
The puppet smirked.
Then, seizing the opportunity amid the pandemonium, when the cacophony completely drowned out the prison cell's surveillance system… he leaned close to Kevin and whispered a few words into his ear.
"!!!"
The ice-cold expression that had never melted in ten thousand years suddenly shattered, replaced by a look of utter shock.
Even his gaze toward the Dominance Puppet: Lingke now held a hint of… terror?
How could the strongest Fusion Warrior, whose will was as unyielding as ten-thousand-year-old ice, possibly feel fear?
And why, amidst this inexplicable dread, was there also a flicker of… hope?
It was fortunate that no one else witnessed this fleeting shift in his expression.
After a long moment…
"Are you sure you're not just spouting nonsense?"
Even as Schicksal Headquarters was plummeting, Kevin abruptly abandoned his previous caution, acting as if… he no longer cared about the safety of ordinary people.
As for the substance of his question…
"Don't worry about me breaking my word. This *is* my revenge plan."
"You should know that this situation is exactly what I wanted all along."
Dominance Puppet: Lingke said with a smile, "Of course, if you leak my plans, I won't hesitate to resort to even more violent measures."
"Like… a collision between Earth and the Moon."
"By then, I'll ensure that human civilization in this world has no future whatsoever."
"How does that sound?"
At this point, remotely controlled by Lingke's true body, he uttered the question Kevin knew all too well: "Friend or foe…"
"Choose!"
This time, Kevin didn't hesitate. "Fine!"
"I agree to this deal."
The deal they were discussing had nothing to do with stopping the destruction of Schicksal Headquarters.
It was something far more terrifying.
-
Throw me 100 power stones. In exchange for a bonus chapter.