Standing in this icy, snowy, extreme north, it was easy to be reminded of the famous event that took place on the Siberian permafrost in the native world—the Second Honkai Eruption.
As a disaster also named with a numerical sequence, its impact was greater than that of the First and Third Honkai Eruptions combined, directly or indirectly and profoundly changing the fate of every person in the world:
Otto was infused with a massive amount of information, and Welt nearly lost a friend.
Fu Hua lost all her memories and bonds, and Cecilia lost her life on the snowfield.
Siegfried and Theresa grew apart, one later defecting and the other leaving for the Far East.
K-423 was born, and her original body, due to her birth, coincidentally walked down a similar yet different path in life.
As a terrifying disaster that affected tens of millions of people, countless people died, and countless more were displaced.
A young Natasha Cioara lost her family and was spotted and taken away by Gray Serpent.
Bronya lost her father before she was born and her mother right after, being raised and trained as a "child soldier" from birth. She was later spotted and taken in by Cocolia along with many other orphans, including Seele.
Even Cocolia herself was a victim of this disaster. She later joined the severely weakened Anti-Entropy as a soldier and split it, eventually backstabbing Raiden Ryoma and single-handedly orchestrating the Third Honkai Eruption in Nagazora City...
This disaster was like an "identity verification." In the native world, ninety or even eighty percent of the people with any standing in various organizations, if you looked at their history, were inextricably linked to this disaster from over a decade ago. A rough thought revealed that almost only Durandal was an exception!
How could Lin Wei, standing in a similarly icy and snowy landscape, not make the corresponding connection to such a major event, one that could be called a "turning point in the world's destiny"?
"Dr. Schrodinger, I can probably guess what 'unpleasant association' you're talking about. In fact, in the native world, I once had a similar misunderstanding with Dr. Tesla due to a coincidence," Lin Wei said.
"But now is not the time to talk about that. Seeing the ice and snow here has also given me another unpleasant association—if we were to be muddle-headedly drawn into the battlefield of the Second Honkai Eruption, that would be terrible."
And with my strange luck, the probability of that actually happening is not low at all, Lin Wei silently added in his heart.
"A misunderstanding? Alright." Schrodinger was noncommittal. "That makes sense. The beacon in your hand was made by them. Although those two aren't very sensitive to danger, they shouldn't fall for the same trick twice."
Her voice was still flat and rational, yet there was a faint sense of self-persuasion. Then she added, "I've heard a little about the Second Honkai Eruption in the native world. Although the version I heard is probably not the truth, that's not the point."
Schrodinger reminded him deeply, "I admit you are very clever, and I can see that you seem very confident and trust your own judgment. Although I don't know what led you to cultivate such a habit, just like the previous question, that's also not the point—I just want to remind you: before you have enough correct information, do not make rash judgments based on your past experiences. Otherwise, if you make a mistake, it could lead to irreparable losses."
Although he couldn't see her expression as she spoke, from her unchanging tone, it was probably still that poker face that could look at everything calmly.
"...Thank you for the reminder, Dr. Schrodinger." Lin Wei was slightly taken aback, then smiled helplessly and said, "It's probably because the 'pressure to survive' has always been too great for me, so I had to desperately dig into this one weapon I could use. Over time, I've developed some habits..."
"Such as?" Schrodinger rarely asked a follow-up question.
"Such as..." Lin Wei thought for a moment and said, "For example, based on some subtle clues, or even ambiguous ones, I deduce various possibilities. Then I choose one or a few possibilities that I care about the most, use them as a starting point and principle to guide my actions, and verify my guesses in the process."
"Is that so?" Schrodinger said. "That's not necessarily a bad habit, but I can probably understand why Tesla had a misunderstanding with you."
"..."
Lin Wei was speechless. Although there was nothing wrong with any of Schrodinger's words, he had a faint feeling that she was insulting him, but he had no proof...
"Forget it, let's not talk about this." Schrodinger didn't seem to have much interest in small talk and casually changed the subject. "So what do you plan to do next?"
The moment she finished speaking, she saw Lin Wei actually put away the pitch-black greatsword that was shaped exactly like the Judgment of Shamash.
The raging black flames surrounding the blade also dissipated, and the air that had been heated to a scorching temperature quickly cooled down.
In the short few minutes that he had stood with his sword and conversed with Schrodinger, the snow on the ground where he stood had completely melted and evaporated under the heat of the world-destroying flames.
Looking down from a high altitude, it was like a black inkblot on a piece of white drawing paper.
Even if he retracted everything and let the snowflakes fluttering in the sky fall on the ground again, this dark "inkblot" would remain here for a considerable period of time.
Only after several days and nights, until the blizzard falling from the sky dyed it white again, and the cold wind blowing from the valley smoothed it over once more, could it return to its original appearance—a vast white snowfield...
Lin Wei clearly had no leisurely mood to search for plum blossoms in the snow.
After getting rid of the "fire source," he instantly felt the "embrace" of the extreme cold of the far north again, and couldn't help but grimace from the cold. "So damn cold!"
Although he couldn't help but complain, he had no intention of summoning the Judgment of Shamash again. Instead, he projected his most commonly used flight device.
The flight device appeared with the wind, and just as Lin Wei was about to leap onto it and fly straight up to the sky to find a densely populated area, a bone-chilling cold wind blew past, making him quickly dismiss this not-so-rational idea.
Among the pile of equipment Vill-V designed for me as a MANTIS, cold resistance was probably not a particularly high priority!
After realizing this, he gritted his teeth and let the flight device dissipate like smoke. He didn't choose any other "equipment." Instead, he turned around without hesitation and ran towards the forest not far away, his feet treading on the thick snow.
"Although I'm not entirely clear on your plan, I don't think it was a very wise choice for you to rashly put away that sword that resembles the Judgment of Shamash."
Schrodinger's voice did not enter this world bubble. It only came from the small box that served as a "beacon."
"Jumping between the extremes of sudden heat and sudden cold too frequently is a huge torment for the human body. Even the strongest warrior should follow basic biological and physical laws."
CLANG! SNAP...
As she spoke, Lin Wei had already reached the edge of the forest.
He drew his cursed blade without hesitation and cut off a snow-laden branch. In the next second, the cursed blade was sheathed, and a black light swirled in his other hand, instantly condensing into a strangely shaped pistol.
In his mind, he pulled the trigger at one end of the branch.
With a BANG, the fresh branch, which shouldn't have been easily ignited, burst into flames. Lin Wei dismissed the Judgment Pistol, picked up the torch, and continued to walk through the forest accompanied by its insignificant warmth.
"I know, Dr. Schrodinger. The flames of the Judgment of Shamash are certainly warm, but its temperature will leave a clear, visible trail in this snowfield," Lin Wei finally had the presence of mind to explain simply.
"As you said just now, we currently know nothing about this world. Before we find the most basic clues, we should at least not expose our tracks. So my plan is simple—use the heat of the Judgment of Shamash to store some basic body heat, take this opportunity to act quickly, and solve the problem of cold protection and shelter as fast as possible. Then rest for a bit, and after my stamina recovers, I'll set out to find a place with human activity and investigate what this world is really like..."
Lin Wei's plan was not complicated and easy to understand. He explained it clearly in a few sentences.
"I see." Schrodinger just responded simply, then said, "Judgment of Shamash... heh, you actually admitted the name of the weapon you just used. If I'm not mistaken, it shouldn't be the real one, right?"
She finally asked her question in a roundabout way.
"I'm grateful that you're willing to voice your suspicions, Dr. Schrodinger, instead of resorting to personal attacks without any reason like Dr. Tesla did..."
Lin Wei walked with difficulty through the snow-covered dense forest, searching hard, while answering Schrodinger's doubtful question truthfully. "It is indeed not the real Judgment of Shamash, but an auxiliary creation of another Divine Key—the Key of Corrosion. That is the Divine Key I truly possess. In a sense, it has completely eroded all the Divine Keys except for the Void Archives, thus copying their core information, allowing me to use the power of these Divine Keys to some extent..."
As he spoke, Lin Wei shrugged and smiled helplessly. "In a way, it's quite similar to Otto's Void Archives, right..."
Some things had to be said, and it was best to be honest before the other person asked.
If one were to say who among the people in Schicksal's North American branch was screwed over the most by Otto, this Dr. Schrodinger would definitely be at the top of the list.
Although she didn't die on the spot like Edison and Walter Joyce, she was completely turned into a quantum ghost like Seele. She drifted alone in the Sea of Quanta for who knows how many years before she chanced upon "Abyss Flower - Durandal."
With its power, she was barely able to stabilize her physical existence again.
But even so, she still continued to wander in the Sea of Quanta, traveling through one world bubble after another, unable to find her way home.
Even when she met and traveled with the amnesiac Bianka and Rita, and seemed to see hope of returning to the native world, at that time, she still needed to use that set of black metal armor that covered her entire body to restrain herself and help maintain the stability of her body. In essence, she still hadn't completely escaped the shackles of the Sea of Quanta.
Secondly, the passage that Bianka and the others had mastered was firmly in the hands of Schicksal, in the hands of Otto. If she were to return to the native world through this passage, it would be no different from walking into a trap, equivalent to "having a home but not being able to return."
Therefore, as the person who had suffered the most, Schrodinger's hatred for Otto would only be greater than that of the two doctors left in Anti-Entropy, not less. It was just that her personality had always been calm and rational, so she appeared relatively calm on the outside...
And Lin Wei, he had no interest in taking the blame for Otto. It was better for everyone to get things out in the open early.
"Tesla? Heh, after not seeing her for so many years, she's still so impulsive, hasn't changed a bit," Schrodinger's tone when commenting on her old friend was still as flat as ever.
"I told her long ago not to rush to conclusions about experimental results before there was sufficient verification."
Her words were brief, but Lin Wei could still hear the unspoken latter half—"but she didn't listen."
"Hehe, for a strange guy like me who suddenly popped up, it's not surprising to arouse suspicion. In that situation back then, you can't blame Dr. Tesla," Lin Wei simply smoothed things over for the distant Tesla and smiled faintly.
"Actually, even you, Dr. Schrodinger, are full of suspicion and even distrust towards me in your heart, right? That's not strange either. After all, I'm just a stranger you've met for the first time, and in such a real way. If you really trusted me so easily, Doctor, that would be disappointing."
"...You're quite blunt," Schrodinger admitted Lin Wei's statement frankly. "You're right, I've been observing you. I won't jump to conclusions before I have enough information."
"Pointing that out directly is indeed a bit abrupt. But in my opinion, being honest is more likely to gain a companion's trust than pretending to be clueless," Lin Wei explained seriously, his feet still moving. He held a torch in one hand and a walking stick in the other, his eyes scanning his surroundings.
As he walked, his eyes suddenly lit up, and then, as if remembering something, he asked, "By the way, Dr. Schrodinger, you're not some kind of wildlife protection enthusiast, are you?"
This question was even more abrupt than the last one, even a bit nonsensical, making even the always rational Schrodinger stunned for a moment. "What did you say?"
She thought she had misheard.
"Oh, it's nothing. I just found a desirable prey. Since you didn't deny it, Dr. Schrodinger, I'll take it that you have no objections," Lin Wei said with a smile.
Then he turned and ran towards a low cave not far away, kicked away the thick snow, and rushed in aggressively, saying excitedly, "Brother Bear, if you don't mind, I'll be borrowing this fur of yours."