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If anyone remained most composed upon Otto's appearance, it would be Xia Chen himself.
He knew what Otto intended to do and understood the benefits it held for humanity. By gradually usurping God's Authorities, Otto aimed to empower people with the experience and strength to confront divinity directly.
Otto had meticulously planned for this moment for far too long, even offering Xia Chen generous terms as part of his scheme.
"You and I both have tasks to accomplish. Let us strike a deal," Otto proposed to Xia Chen within the Dominion Theater at that time.
Contrary to appearances, Otto did not possess the certainty about the future he projected. Although Sirin Project seemed to progress without significant deviations thus far, the future had already been altered by Xia Chen's influence.
He needed to uncover all information related to Xia Chen.
And Xia Chen was equally swayed by the contents of their proposed deal.
The knowledge stored within the Divine Key, Void Archives, along with details about MEI from the previous civilization era, intrigued him deeply.
For instance, how MEI created Stigmata.
Or how he arrived in this world.
The System within Xia Chen carried too many unknowns, instilling fear and unease in him. Even though Mobius explained that the System inherently placed him in a quantum superposition state, where did such quantum power originate from?
He needed to understand more until it brought him sufficient reassurance.
And Otto could provide him with these insights.
Stigmata were truly enigmatic, creating dimensions of space while hosting consciousness. The innate bearers of Stigmata resembled Herrschers within human civilization.
It was unlikely that MEI achieved this solely through human effort.
Of course, to obtain the knowledge Otto mentioned, Xia Chen had another task to accomplish first.
Narrowing his eyes, he stepped towards the Holy Research Institute.
Upon arrival, he saw Nagamitsu humming a tune while inputting commands on a computer.
"So it's you."
Nagamitsu's eyes showed a hint of surprise upon seeing Xia Chen. "What brings you here?"
"I've been instructed to assist with a crucial step in Project Stigma's execution."
Xia Chen casually replied while looking at Nagamitsu, "No need to pretend anymore. I know you're also an Enforcer."
"Surprised that you figured it out."
She paused briefly before continuing, "I didn't expect things to be so rushed either. A task originally requiring at least a year of preparation has been condensed into just one month. After this is over, I'm definitely resigning."
"So Bishop Otto chose this timing because your work was nearly ready, correct?"
"At least Gnius+ is completed," Nagamitsu revealed without hesitation. "Originally, we needed to validate the experimental theory, but there wasn't enough time."
With a soft sigh, she added, "The Lord Bishop is too hasty."
Only now did Nagamitsu still refer to Otto as 'Lord Bishop.'
In their original plan, they intended to conduct an experimental test. The objective was to anchor Durandal's world bubble and attach it to the Imaginary Tree, thereby altering its 'branches'.
Otto sought to prove that human capabilities could also prune the branches of the tree—a notion Xia Chen remained silent about.
He might be the root cause of Otto's haste, after all. It was his interference that disrupted Sirin's plan, leading to these current circumstances.
"It will definitely succeed," he said firmly. "In this matter, I have more confidence than you."
"It must succeed," Nagamitsu sighed softly. "If it fails, Schicksal would directly lose an exceptional warrior."
This endeavor was indeed a gamble.
However, they had no reason not to take the risk.
Durandal differed significantly from Hare. Although Hare's transformation into a Virtual Being instilled great faith in Kevin, its implications were limited. On the other hand, Durandal herself could be considered the most perfect creation post-Project Stigma.
Once the full potential of her Stigmata is unlocked, she would effortlessly traverse between virtual and physical realms, harnessing both civilization and Honkai energies.
This was the final step of Project Stigma.
Using their own bloodlines, MEI created the Kaslana lineage, while Otto utilized the holy blood derived from the Black Death to enhance the Schariac bloodline.
Unintentionally, the fusion of wisdom from two civilizations resulted in Durandal as she is today.
She embodies both creation and destruction, being the most perfect creation shared by Honkai and humanity.
Thus, Otto kept Durandal close, personally mentoring her to constantly hone her skills. His purpose was to prepare her for the upcoming experiment.
The power contained within the Stigmata, if left unchecked, would only bring ruin.
At this point, their trust relied solely on Durandal's will.
Nagamitsu glanced at Xia Chen and couldn't help but say, "Honestly, I don't mind since I planned to resign anyway. But after involving yourself in this matter, can you still safely remain with Schicksal?"
"Don't tell me you're going to follow the Lord Bishop now. You're not that type of person," Xia Chen replied mildly. "Compared to others' sacrifices, my situation means little."
As an S-rank fighter, he had every reason to be proud.
Even if it led to some ostracism later, it wouldn't truly matter.
"Then get prepared, there's no denying the significance of this event." Nagamitsu paused before adding, "Good luck."
Klosthen had become a must-visit destination, not just for the coronation ceremony but also due to the space-time mapping phenomenon occurring there.
When Tesla received this information, he was stunned, nearly speechless.
Mapping events from five hundred years ago onto the present required an immense amount of energy. Without even needing detailed calculations, Tesla instinctively deemed it impossible. Even if Honkai were truly omnipotent, it couldn't defy fundamental laws.
In contrast, Einstein appeared thoughtful.
Having visited the Sea of Quanta before, she naturally understood the implications.
"Dr. Tesla, calm down. This isn't time reversal; it's quantum superposition."
"For some unknown reason, scenes from five hundred years ago are being observed by people today, which inherently represents a quantum state."
"But how can quantum superposition occur within the intrinsic world?"
While Tesla wasn't primarily focused on quantum mechanics, he knew that quantum superposition fundamentally relies on the disordering of world rules.
Only chaos along the temporal axis could create such phenomena.
Quantum superposition is actually an indication that civilization has begun to unravel, and as civilization becomes more chaotic, entropy increases correspondingly.
This leads to large-scale Honkai occurrences.
At this realization, Tesla's face turned pale. "Mophead, Otto is a madman; we must stop him at all costs."
"Klosthen will experience massive Honkai outbreaks, potentially spreading across the entire Earth!"
"Dr. Tesla, we cannot act rashly," Einstein cautioned, pausing briefly before continuing. "To analyze someone, first understand their motivations. Otto has no incentive to destroy this world. Even if he is insane, he remains a rational kind of madman."
"Don't worry; we still have time." After a moment's thought, she added, "However, trying to guess his intentions is essentially a waste of our efforts. Instead, let's focus on what we can do ourselves."
"What else can we possibly accomplish?" Tesla couldn't help but question.
Einstein closed her eyes and said, "First, we need to ascertain how many people we can truly trust. Regardless of Otto's schemes, we must be capable of thwarting them."