Welt was extremely frustrated.
He thought something had gone wrong and rushed over in a hurry, only to be greeted by a beating...
This Herrscher of Thunder had no martial ethics at all, aiming every strike at his vital points. As an old-timer, Welt could only manage to parry with effort.
Truthfully, he wasn't guaranteed to win against the Herrscher of Thunder. Even though he was a senior with decades of experience over her, heroes eventually wither. This body was fine for maintaining appearances, but it wouldn't last long in a real all-out struggle.
The damage from the Second Great Honkai Eruption had been too severe; he had lost his entire physical form, leaving only his soul huddled inside the Herrscher Core to be brought back to Anti-Entropy by Siegfried.
Even if he could win, however, he couldn't bring himself to strike ruthlessly. Mainly, another person was watching from the side... and one had to show respect to the owner.
"Alright, Mei," seeing Welt's frantic defense, Xia Yu stopped the Herrscher of Thunder. "You've vented enough, haven't you?"
"Mhm, Aunt," the Herrscher of Thunder nodded obediently and immediately stopped.
"You should head back first," Xia Yu reached out to pat her head. "The Anti-Entropy Sovereign came in such a hurry, he likely has something to discuss with me."
"Okay, Aunt," the Herrscher of Thunder said with a hint of reluctance, but she still obeyed and turned into a bolt of lightning to return to the ground.
"Sigh, thank you for intervening," Welt sighed. "Young people these days... they have such strength. An old man like me can't keep up at all."
"Mr. Welt, you joke," the corner of Xia Yu's mouth hooked slightly as she looked up at him. "An old man? No, you are still quite young."
"How can I be called young," Welt smiled bitterly. "These old limbs... sigh."
"Is that so? When I last saw you, you were quite spirited," Xia Yu's expression turned odd. "Very spirited indeed."
"Hmm? Really? We've met before..." Welt spoke instinctively, then instantly realized something.
"There is something I want to ask of you, Mr. Welt," Xia Yu changed the subject. "The Moon Ring. You don't need to know what it is right now, but one day, you will see it."
"Then, always keep one on your hand. One day in the future, I, or one of my friends, will come to you to collect it."
"This matter... I'm afraid I cannot agree immediately," Welt frowned, thinking for a moment before saying, "After all, I don't even know what it is."
"No matter. The moment you see it, you will know that it doesn't really have any negative impact," Xia Yu nodded.
Welt's hesitation was normal. He had no idea what the Moon Ring was yet; what if it was something extremely dangerous?
In reality, the Moon Ring was a small Honkai Energy suppression device developed by Dr. Einstein and a group of scientists based on the principles of the Moonlight Throne after the Honkai was overcome. It was high-tech but not entirely new.
At that time, the Moon Ring had already been equipped to every Valkyrie squad.
Its main function was to reduce the erosion of Honkai Energy on the human body by converting excess energy into ordinary power, making a Valkyrie's combat endurance and explosive capacity last longer. This converted energy could also assist the Valkyrie in battle.
What Xia Yu valued most was its first function. For Himeko, this was something that could save her life. It was no exaggeration to say that if this technology appeared now, it would drastically increase Schicksal's strength.
Valkyries like Himeko, who were forced to retreat to the second line due to severe erosion, were by no means a minority in Schicksal. What? You ask why they still come out to handle Honkai if they've retreated to the second line?
The reason was cruel: compared to dying in a hospital bed, they were more cost-effective for Schicksal as super weapons on a one-way mission.
The Moon Ring system could address their worsening physical conditions. Even if it couldn't cure them, it could maintain the status quo. This was originally a device Dr. Einstein developed after the war for the vast number of Schicksal Valkyries whose lives were cut short by erosion; its use in combat was merely a pleasant surprise.
Among so many Schicksal Valkyries, not everyone possessed the bloodline of the three great families or had a Stigmata to resist erosion.
After the war, such a large group of super soldiers was gradually no longer needed for Earth's current state, but they were warriors who had marched onto the battlefield prepared to die for the sake of civilization. One couldn't just abandon them and watch them die in pain, right?
Even though Kiana had taken away the vast majority of Honkai Energy, their bodies, long riddled with holes from erosion, could no longer hold out.
This was the most useful thing she could think of for Himeko's condition.
Of course, the universe was vast and full of wonders; there were many things that could heal Himeko, but who knew when she might encounter them? The Moon Ring was the most promising hope.
It could also verify one thing: if she ever boarded the Express and Welt claimed to know nothing, that would speak volumes.
"Regarding the food you requested," Welt mentioned this with a headache, "could we have a bit more time? We are still gathering it..."
"With Anti-Entropy's capability, this should be very simple, shouldn't it?" Xia Yu was somewhat puzzled.
You control the North American Great Plains. The agricultural powerhouse America is no joke; it should be easier for you than for Schicksal, right?
"...I'm not afraid of you laughing at me," Welt lowered his head in shame, "the companies below... well, they aren't very sensible."
It was more than just not being sensible. The ABCD big four grain traders controlled eighty percent of the global grain trade, and three of them were in North America. Thus, Welt and the others had been confident.
In the end... when they ordered the gathering of food, the subordinates turned in over fifty million tons of soybeans. Upon investigation, they found that because international grain prices were skyrocketing, the companies were unwilling to part with staple grains and used soybeans to make up the numbers while hoarding the rest.
Now Wall Street was going mad. Various grain stocks were climbing steadily without stopping.
To be fair, Anti-Entropy called it a requisition, but they still paid market price. Einstein knew that if she dared to requisition without payment, those capitalists would truly dare to not pay the farmers a single cent.
And although the requested amount was large, with the management of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, logically the fluctuation shouldn't have been this massive. Then, seeing the madness on Wall Street, she knew.
Someone was bold enough to use this incident to set a trap, using this demand to drive up prices and engage in hoarding.
This sort of thing wasn't new; it was an old trick. The big four grain traders had it down to a science, having used this tactic many times over the years to squeeze small nations.
While soybeans are edible, the soybeans grown in North America were primarily used as raw material for various feeds after export. North America was not lacking in staple grains at all.
Yet they tried to brush her off like this?
No matter how good Einstein's temper usually was, she couldn't hold back at this point. No, do you really think this is a normal time where you're squeezing a small nation? That the other party is the one begging us?
We are the ones offering tribute!
If she wants food, does she have to get it from us? If we are wiped out, there are plenty of people who would want to talk to her.
These are no longer ordinary capitalists; we must strike hard! If word of this gets out, Otto can mock us for a hundred years!
Siegfried was currently in North America leading Titan units on a killing spree. Those families pulling the strings behind the three big grain traders were being systematically hunted down house by house.
North America was currently undergoing a stimulating battle royale. Some people really thought Anti-Entropy was just a political organization; it seems the mild style of the Anti-Entropy elders in recent years led to a miscalculation.
Anti-Entropy is a legitimate military organization! They have blades in their hands!
From time to time, Titans would drop from the sky and violently smash an entire villa or mansion, dragging the owners out like dead dogs to be hanged. The entirety of North America was scared to death.
Meanwhile, other giants were trembling as they inquired about what exactly those people had done wrong.
The most obedient of the big four grain traders was the French Louis Dreyfus. Of course, it had nothing to do with kindness or a sense of the big picture; it was mainly because they were in old Europe, knew Schicksal's methods, and cooperated honestly as soon as an order came down from the Overseer.
Compared to those North American nouveau riche who didn't know how hard the Titan's iron fist was, they knew a Valkyrie's slap could spin them like a top.
"...Normal, capitalists," after learning what happened in North America, Xia Yu didn't find it strange. "For profit, is there anything they wouldn't dare do?"
In fact, human food production every year was enough to feed everyone. The output of modernized agriculture was beyond what the average person could imagine. But why was there still famine in the world? Why did people still go hungry?
Because food is a business, the lifeblood of survival, and natural political leverage.
In the end, it was all because of the human heart.
"So we need some time. Those soybeans have to be sent back and reloaded onto ships," Welt sighed. "We are already doing our best to mobilize the food..."
"No need to send them back," Xia Yu shook her head, indicating she didn't care. "To you, soybeans might just be feed material right now, but for those who have no tomorrow, as long as it's edible, what does it matter if it's feed?"
The main thing was that it was free anyway, so what did it matter what she got? Reloading the ships would waste too much time.
She'd just treat it as diversifying the variety. Anyway, the staple rice mobilized from Shenzhou and India was already plentiful.
Xia Yu didn't care about this point. She believed those who were truly starving wouldn't care either.
If it really came down to it, it could be used as feed for livestock.
Again, it was free; she wasn't picky.
"Has the situation already become that dire?" Hearing this, the sadness on Welt's face almost overflowed. "Dr. Einstein is already urgently mobilizing our civilization seed bank. It will arrive tonight, including everything from seeds to various biological embryos, as well as a full set of civilization reconstruction guidance and technology—"
"Haven't I explained?" Xia Yu sighed helplessly. "Humanity's future is bright. This universe is very, very big. I just... couldn't bear to watch on a certain planet."
"Besides, I helped you resolve the Third Great Honkai Eruption and secured a Herrscher for the human side. There's no problem in asking for this little reward, is there?"
"...Are you really not just comforting us?" Welt looked up and stared seriously at Xia Yu.
"Of course not," Xia Yu hadn't realized they were so pessimistic, though it was normal. After all, Honkai... sigh.
"You will know in the future, Mr. Welt. Perhaps, you too will have the chance to travel among the stars."
In the Far East, chaos had been frequent these days.
Specifically, the upper echelons were extremely unstable. Someone suddenly noticed that a vast number of officials from various departments had vanished in an instant. The public explanation was "accidents."
One is an accident, two is an accident, but when half the Grand Council is empty, can it still be an accident?!
The public weren't fools!
So it caused a small-scale riot.
Then, the entire country fell into an eerie silence, as if the source of all riots had vanished. Although everyone was uneasy, life had to go on, right?
Then people noticed that the prices of various food items in stores had dropped. A massive drop!
Keen individuals, combining this phenomenon with the mysterious disappearance of top officials—especially the JA, which was basically empty...
So, someone must have taken action and removed a mountain pressing down on the people.
As for who? It didn't matter. What mattered was that they could now buy all kinds of food at very cheap prices (for them), something unthinkable in the past. This even triggered a massive buying spree.
But the supplies in the stores seemed inexhaustible, so many people gradually felt at ease.
This was precisely why the Far East didn't fall into major chaos. So many high-level officials were dead, but prices and social order remained eerily stable. Thus, the conservative-leaning public felt somewhat secure as long as they saw the hoarded grain at home.
Of course, there were those who were unstable, but for anyone causing trouble now... the iron fists of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy would slam into both sides of their face simultaneously. In a short time, the Yakuza forces across the Far East were almost wiped out. Titans and Valkyries didn't care about your laws; anyone causing trouble was killed without exception.
There were also rumors that something had happened in Nagazora City, and the entire city was locked down.
Someone even claimed to have seen a giant Erdtree rising from the ground in Nagazora City—it must be a miracle!
Then they were taken in due to religious issues.
Seriously, compared to the social order being wiped clean and the prices of daily necessities dropping, which lightened social pressure by a huge margin, what did a few random rumors matter?
What? A tree made of gold?
No, if you're going to brag, at least make it bigger. Look at the neighbor; they're bragging that an alien spaceship landed in Nagazora City to rule the entire Far East, which is why all those noble lords were killed.
The story has details and logic; isn't that more believable than yours?