A few days later, at World Serpent.
"Are we really going to let her into the Elysian Realm?" Jackal asked, sitting across from Gray Serpent, her tone quite dissatisfied.
"She, like the guy she follows, has never been a member of the organization. Why should she be allowed to defile that sacred land?"
She was a fanatical believer in World Serpent. Despite her many flaws, her "loyalty to the organization" was beyond doubt.
With a beautiful face darkened by anger, she complained to herself, "It was one thing to make concessions to that guy before, since it was the Sovereign's will. But now, that bastard is gone. What is she, that she can just ask for whatever she wants and have us 'honor our promise'?"
For so many years, she had always been the one acting arrogantly in front of others, rarely tolerating others baring their teeth at her—especially in a situation like this, which she saw as a clear case of "a fox borrowing the tiger's might."
She couldn't take it anymore!
"Ah, ah, ah... Jackal, rashly violating a long-standing agreement will come with an unknown price," Gray Serpent said with a chuckle, his voice as ever.
"This isn't about integrity, but about long-term benefits..."
"Agreement? Ha! He couldn't even bring back the Second Divine Key safely, and he has the nerve to talk about an 'agreement' with us?" Jackal said angrily, still holding a grudge over Lin Wei's "failure."
"If you're worried that that guy will use this as leverage... even the great Sovereign is trapped in the Sea of Quanta, unable to return. Just him? Heh, he probably can't even survive a day in the Sea of Quanta!"
Perhaps because she had suffered at Lin Wei's hands several times, just imagining his possible miserable state in the Sea of Quanta made her feel incredibly satisfied...
"The Sovereign will one day return to this world that needs him to lead and pioneer the future. As for that gentleman..."
Gray Serpent chuckled. "Jackal, you know the real answer in your heart."
When a person has to resort to that level of denial, it's a dead giveaway that their subconscious knows the truth and is desperately fighting it.
Jackal was silent for a moment, then she laughed in anger.
"Even if the Sovereign isn't here, is our great organization really so afraid of this guy?"
The man was gone, yet they still had to fulfill the request he left behind. This was just too bullying!
"It's not fear, but rather, we are happy to see it happen," Gray Serpent said calmly, stating a harsh fact.
"Otherwise, if that young lady named Yuno were to bring the information about the Elysian Realm to Schicksal—and if that S-rank Valkyrie named Durandal were ordered to seize it, how great a price would we have to pay to stop Schicksal's plot?"
"This... damn it!"
Jackal was stunned, then broke out in a cold sweat.
"Where did that guy come from? Why is he so strong?!"
The earth-shattering battle between Durandal and the ELF Kevin had been a much greater shock to them, the followers of Kevin, than to Schicksal.
After all, although both had some "idol baggage," how could Durandal, a mere "strongest Valkyrie" who had "debuted" not long ago, possibly compare to the savior of the Previous Era?
Gray Serpent spread his hands—I can't help it, but that's the fact.
His intelligence was thorough. He knew Durandal should be incredibly strong, but knowing was one thing, seeing it with his own eyes was another.
It was terrifying!
But Jackal was still not convinced and argued forcefully, "But they just fought like that. How could they possibly come together?"
"In Manila, we also fought with Mr. Lin Wei, Ms. Jackal, but it didn't stop us from continuing to cooperate," Gray Serpent said in his voice.
"No matter how fierce the conflict between Lin Wei and Otto is, after he and the Sovereign fell into the Sea of Quanta, that Schicksal Overseer will no longer take any drastic actions against that MANTIS named Yuno or that Valkyrie named Anna. I think this is one of the reasons why Mr. Lin Wei dared to leave so confidently."
Yuno has been to the Elysian Realm and knows its specific location. If you don't let her in, guess who I'll invite to visit?
"Damn it, how dare he..."
Jackal was furious, then she deflated.
"Alright, he really does dare."
She was now a little afraid of that guy's lawlessness.
As a madman who dared to provoke the Sovereign of World Serpent and challenge Schicksal alone, to say he wouldn't dare to start a war between World Serpent and Schicksal was a bit of self-deception.
Compared to this even more unbearable consequence, letting an outsider train in the Elysian Realm for a few days wasn't an unacceptable matter...
What, you ask why not just control Yuno, or even eliminate this hidden danger once and for all?
Are you kidding?!
That madman Lin Wei fought Schicksal to the death for Anna. If something happened to Yuno, do you think he wouldn't dare to come back and demand an explanation from World Serpent?!
It had to be said that Lin Wei's battle with Schicksal had raised his status in the entire world to a new level—especially after he had withdrawn from the scene.
If he hadn't left this world, then Anna and Yuno could be considered hostages, used to negotiate with Lin Wei and prevent him from acting rashly.
But now, he had just up and left, and the situation was different. Neither World Serpent nor Schicksal could do anything to them. In fact, they had to protect their safety, lest that guy come back one day and cause an even bigger scene.
The more Jackal thought about it, the angrier she became, the more unwilling she was.
"Are we just going to be threatened by him like this?"
At this moment, she even wanted to put aside their feud with Schicksal, cooperate with them for a bit, and get rid of that detestable guy first!
"Threatened?"
Gray Serpent smiled.
"Entrusting Ms. Yuno, who knows many of World Serpent's secrets, into our own hands—is this not a sign of sincerity?"
The communication between smart people is just that tacit.
Letting her return to the Elysian Realm was just a small return gift for this "sincerity"—you wouldn't refuse, would you?
"As for the future? Heh heh..."
Gray Serpent smiled.
"Our only mission at present is to wait—to wait for the day we welcome back the Sovereign."
As long as the Sovereign returned safely, it wouldn't matter whether Lin Wei was threatening or cooperating.
Because the fate of the world had always been in that man's hands, both in the past and in the future, and that would never change.
"..."
Hearing Gray Serpent say this, Jackal finally calmed down and stopped arguing.
She was a fanatical believer in World Serpent, loyal to the organization and the Sovereign, and would never disobey a command from Kevin.
"Gray Serpent, do you think..."
After calming down, she finally had the spare mental energy to think about other things.
"That guy, in the Sea of Quanta, will he have the chance to meet the Sovereign in person?"
As they were speaking, Gray Serpent's communicator suddenly started beeping. He picked it up and looked, and even his usually calm and composed self couldn't help but feel a little surprised.
He muttered to himself, "Natasha? Why would she suddenly contact me at this time?"
...
Raven's days had been extremely painful.
Although the battle between Lin Wei and Schicksal hadn't affected her or her children, she had also been hit with a huge psychological shadow for some reason, because...
...
That lawless guy Lin Wei thinks this damn place isn't safe. How can it be okay?
Raven suddenly realized this "truth" and became anxious.
"Let's go, let's go now!"
Staying here for another second felt creepy!
So, the moment she successfully met up with Yuno and brought her back to the orphanage, she immediately directed the clueless children to hurry up and pack their things to move.
"But, teacher..."
The innocent little Sora asked the same question as Yuno.
"Where should we move to?"
"..."
And so, Raven was once again stumped.
Yes, where to?
Raven thought to herself, for a moment feeling a sense of desolation, as if "the world is vast, but there is no place to call home"...
In fact, she had never had a home.
After the Second Honkai Eruption destroyed her childhood and took her family, she no longer had a home. The reason she was so persistent now was just to "rebuild" or rather, "find" a home for herself again.
So, when she decided to leave here, she couldn't find a suitable destination for a while.
Under the gazes of Yuno, Sora, and the children, Raven paced back and forth with a frown, her pace getting faster and faster.
Just as Sora thought her teacher was about to start running, Raven suddenly stopped, her brow smoothing out—she had found the answer.
She let out a long sigh of relief and said with great ease, "We're going to Southeast Asia, to Singapore!"
She remembered that Lin Wei also had a period of "seclusion" similar to hers, and the place he chose at that time was Singapore.
Since she couldn't find the answer herself for a while, it was always right to just copy someone else's answer, right?
That guy, when he was crazy, he was crazier than anyone, but when he was cautious, he was also more cautious than anyone!
Raven thought to herself. Although she didn't know the specific reasons, there must be a reason why that guy chose to hide in that place!
So, Lin Wei's strict choice—you'll do!
She had never considered that the reason Lin Wei had settled in that place was not only because it was relatively inconspicuous, but also because there was another reason: to monitor a certain monster that had been sleeping at the bottom of the South China Sea for thousands of years...
After all, who could have imagined that a being from a five-thousand-year-old myth would one day stir up trouble again?
Raven was a mercenary, not a historian.
Although she had learned some of the truth about that history when she was in World Serpent, but... with World Serpent's mystical religious style, how could they have recorded everything as it was at that time?
It was nothing more than replacing one myth with another, more obscure and religiously significant "myth."
And Ms. Raven, she was just a worker, not anyone's "believer." She got a headache just looking at those religious texts.
And so, unknowingly, she had once again been royally screwed by herself...
But at least for now, Southeast Asia after the Manila Honkai Eruption was generally calm. So after making up her mind, Raven didn't dare to delay, and with great efficiency, she began to "move to a new home" with the children.
And then, came the even more endless torment...
"What? It can't be changed? What do you mean it can't be changed?"
Yuno, who had just finished talking with Gray Serpent on the phone, came to see Raven holding several phones, roaring at one of them.
"Forget it if the original price can't be changed, but it can't be paid in full, and it has to be paid in installments? Tell him to get lost!"
She hung up rudely, picked up another, and roared even louder.
"What? He doesn't agree to that price? No installments, and it has to be paid in full? Why doesn't he just go and die!"
Bang!
"..."
Seeing this, Yuno covered her ears and quietly backed out.
It was hard to imagine that the usually gentle and kind Ms. Natasha could also have such a grumpy side...
But then, she looked down at herself and thought of her own behavior—"I don't seem to have the right to say that about others?"
After all the roaring was done, Raven let out a long breath, rubbed her face, composed herself, and walked out the door, her usual tone back in place.
"How was the call with Gray Serpent? Did it go smoothly?"
"Yes, everything went smoothly," Yuno said, looking at her strangely.
"I just need to wait a few more days, and then I can go back to the Elysian Realm."
There was still a group of people training in there, and the spots were limited, so she had to wait in line.
"Back to the Elysian Realm?" Raven acted as if it were her home. "But, as long as everything is smooth, that's good."
Raven nodded, then glanced at Yuno out of the corner of her eye. "But you can't stay in there forever, right? What are your plans after you come out of the Elysian Realm next time?"
"...I haven't thought about it yet. I might go find Anna," Yuno was slightly taken aback by the question. After thinking for a while with a frown, she said in a low voice, "But my power now is too weak..."
Although her voice was low, there was an irrepressible impatience in her tone. Anna's change had been too much, and she didn't even know what attitude to take when she saw her.
She also didn't know what kind of attitude Anna would show when she saw her.
She was still worried about her safety, but she was also worried that if she rashly went to find her, it would completely sever their past friendship. She was at a loss, not knowing how to handle it, both anxious and confused.
"Some things can't be solved with brute force," Raven said, having probably seen some of the situation.
After thinking for a moment, she said, "When you come out of the Elysian Realm next time, if you really have nowhere to go, just come here and help me take care of the children."
At worst, I'll just charge Lin Wei a hefty "custody fee" later, Raven thought viciously.
"Ah? Uh... thank you," Yuno came back to her senses, stunned for a moment, her heart warming up. She couldn't help but point to the door and ask, "Just now, you were..."
She couldn't help it. Raven's concern and care now were a world apart from her "Grumpy Sister" appearance just now.
"Ah? Uh... the children probably didn't hear, right?" Raven was slightly embarrassed. She looked up. The children were playing in a small grove a few hundred meters away. My image in their hearts probably won't be damaged by this... right?
"I don't know..." Yuno looked back. She didn't know the answer either, but she felt she had heard it quite clearly.
"Ahem, it's not a big deal," since it had already happened, there was no point in dwelling on it. Raven just waved her hand and explained, "The island I had in the Mediterranean Sea, I wanted to contact someone to sell it, and then set up a new business near Singapore. It's just that..."
It sounded simple, but in reality, it was much more troublesome.
Otherwise, why would she have been so grumpy just now?
"Is it very troublesome?" Yuno asked. She knew Raven wouldn't be so grumpy for no reason.
"Uh... it's okay..." Raven said with a somewhat unnatural expression.
"The old island, I ran into some trouble selling it. And without selling that island, I don't have the money to set up a new business. That's about... the extent of the trouble..."
She had invested too much passion and effort into that Mediterranean island, pouring all her savings into it, and then she found out—she was trapped.
To sell, she would have to take a big loss. After all, she was in a hurry to sell, but others were not in a hurry to buy!
But with the remaining money, it wasn't enough to set up a new business. And she couldn't ask others to lower their prices. After all, she was in a hurry to buy, but others were not in a hurry to sell!
See, stuck, right?
No wonder she had such a breakdown just now. Who could stand being caught in the middle like that?
"Ahem, forget it. These are adult problems. You wouldn't understand even if I told you," Raven waved her hand with a headache, forcing a smile.
"Go and play with the children. Be careful not to get into any danger."
This instruction was somewhat redundant, but as an "elder," she had to nag a little more.
"And then..."
Raven watched Yuno's back, her expression changing, sometimes struggling, sometimes gritting her teeth.
After struggling for a while, she made up her mind, took out her phone, and skillfully dialed a number she had almost forgotten.
"Hello, Gray Serpent..."
After hesitating for a few seconds, Raven said with a struggle, "Do you have any jobs? Arrange a few for me..."
"Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to rejoin the organization. I'm just a little short on cash recently and want to earn some extra money!"
Raven tried her best to defend herself.