Because Kevin used physical means to separate the Herrscher core from Wendy’s body, she was naturally no longer affected by it. After falling to the ground, she managed to regain control of her own body.
But just as Enoxia had hinted, once she regained control, Wendy felt a searing, burning pain—like something inside her had caught fire. She looked up and saw that her left leg, from the knee down, was gone.
After flying off, Wendy’s left calf hadn’t even hit the ground before it was burned to ashes. All that remained was the emerald-green Herrscher core, which fell into Kevin’s hands.
Kevin glanced at Durandal, who was helping Wendy up, but said nothing. He took the Herrscher core and left New Zealand, returning to World Serpent’s headquarters.
With that, the Fourth Herrscher Crisis finally came to an end. But many people understood that part of the devastation caused by the Herrscher of Wind hadn’t even begun.
One day later, the consequences of the Herrscher of Wind’s manipulation of ocean currents and atmospheric circulation began to manifest around the world.
First, several super typhoons appeared in the western Pacific, striking eastern China, the Philippines, and Japan in the middle of winter. A few days later, torrential downpours suddenly hit Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Libya, flooding several cities.
In Libya, in particular, because the Derna River received the equivalent of ten years’ worth of rain in a single day, the upstream dam eventually collapsed under the terrifying deluge. The floodwaters, carrying mud and debris, directly destroyed several downstream cities, ultimately causing over 100,000 deaths and affecting more than a million people.
By early 2017, global weather patterns had essentially descended into total chaos. Places that should have been hot were unusually cold, and places that should have been cold were unusually warm. Regions that were normally dry were hit by sudden downpours, while areas that typically saw plenty of rain received not a single drop.
According to incomplete statistics, the secondary disasters triggered by the Herrscher of Wind resulted in over one million deaths worldwide and affected tens of millions of people.
However, apart from those who knew the inside story, almost no one linked these disasters to Herrscher activity. As a result, not only did Schicksal escape criticism, but its reputation actually improved more than before, thanks to its Valkyries rushing to provide disaster relief around the globe.
——————
Spring 2017, London, England.
Several mechs equipped with ultrasonic devices and dozens of World Serpent’s mass-produced androids appeared here.
At Jackal’s command, the mechs began sweeping the target area with ultrasound, conducting a carpet scan.
She knew full well that the Second Divine Key had been here for thousands of years, its location never changing—it just existed in a different space from the normal world.
By measuring the time it took for ultrasonic waves to be emitted in various directions and then received back by the sensors, the magnetic field device soon detected a distortion in space.
“Lady Jackal, we’ve observed a distorted space fifty meters above the River Thames, but our equipment can’t see what’s inside!”
Jackal raised her right hand and slowly lowered it.
“Fire the Honkai energy beam.”
The surrounding androids activated their onboard weapons, and dozens of red rays converged on the same point.
As the spatial barrier shattered, a beautifully intricate locomotive slowly emerged from the air above the River Thames.
The Second Divine Key, Infinite Curiosity, had returned to the world after thousands of years.
“So this is the Second Divine Key… hiding in a place like this, what a clever method…”
By the banks of the Thames, a blond, blue-eyed man watched this spectacular sight and couldn’t help murmuring to himself.
He was Otto Apocalypse, the Overseer of Schicksal, who had come at World Serpent’s invitation to witness the event.
“Lady Jackal, now that the Second Divine Key has appeared, I believe you can tell me what this is about.”
Of course, he didn’t think World Serpent had invited him just to show off in front of Schicksal or mock their previous failed plans.
“This isn’t the place to talk, Mr. Otto. Please follow me.”
Some time later, Otto and Jackal sat down face to face in a tastefully decorated bar.
“Among all the Divine Keys, Infinite Curiosity is the most unique. It can open a passage to the Sea of Quanta, and it can also create a door to the Imaginary Tree. On the other side of that door lies the ‘birthplace of truth and law.'”
“But right now, it’s of little use to World Serpent. After all, what Infinite Curiosity can do, the Herrscher of the Void can basically do as well. At the same time, World Serpent and Schicksal have had some major misunderstandings in the past, and we need an opportunity to turn swords into plowshares.”
“For multiple reasons, the Sovereign hopes to make a deal with Schicksal. Infinite Curiosity in exchange for the First Divine Key, the Void Archives.”
“To show World Serpent’s sincerity, we are willing to share our research results with you. According to the Herrscher of Corruption, you will find these findings very interesting.”
Jackal handed a display screen to Otto. On it were only two sentences:
[The time stored by the Imaginary Tree can be reactivated using the energy contained within time itself.]
[A Herrscher’s ability to manipulate higher-dimensional space can artificially induce directional fission along the time dimension.]
“She told me that you are a smart man. Even though these sentences might seem obscure to ordinary people, you will understand them quickly.”
After his brain worked at high speed, Otto reached a conclusion:
Infinite Curiosity could help him carry out a plan—one that might just save Kallen.
