*Click~*
The pitch-black room instantly brightened, the bright lights illuminating the luxurious decor within.
Surveying the luxurious yet tasteful furnishings of the room, Ming Yu couldn't help but nod in satisfaction. As expected of a four-star hotel, the Queen's Hotel's decor was worthy of its rating.
Moreover, the recently strengthened security forces from Anti-Entropy had raised the hotel's safety level by several notches. Perhaps when the Gem of Serenity arrived, this place would become the safest place in all of Singapore.
With the identity prepared by the Far East Branch, plus a few tricks, the two of them had checked into this Anti-Entropy-controlled hotel almost openly.
As long as they abided by the rules set by Anti-Entropy, this was Ming Yu's safest base.
*Squeak*. The innermost door suddenly opened, and a cute pink head carefully peeked out.
"Big Bro Yu?!"
Seeing the figure in the main hall, the girl couldn't help but cry out.
"It's Higokumaru. You're not resting yet..." Looking at the girl who had already walked out of the room in a panic, Ming Yu forced a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, my body is fine. It's just a small injury."
Hearing Ming Yu's explanation, the worry on Higokumaru's face did not diminish in the slightest. She still rushed to Ming Yu's side and half-forced him to remove the clothes hiding his wounds.
Looking at the half-angry, half-anxious expression on the girl's face, the explanation Ming Yu had prepared on the way could no longer be spoken.
As he let out a long sigh, the fatigue he had been suppressing surged up from all over his body, causing Ming Yu to collapse onto the sofa.
The black coat was taken off, revealing Ming Yu's gray tank top, which was almost completely soaked in blood. The three wounds on his back, running down his entire spine, were so shockingly gruesome that the torn flesh had already turned a horrifying black.
Only then did Ming Yu notice the splatters of reddish-black blood on the ceramic floor, and his own pale, paper-white face reflected in Higokumaru's clear eyes.
The injuries Ming Yu thought he could hide had been laid bare all along.
"Sorry..."
Watching the girl bring him hot water to clean his wounds, Ming Yu sighed and said softly.
"Is Big Bro Yu talking to me?"
Higokumaru said faintly, her tone devoid of any emotion, but the force with which she scrubbed Ming Yu's back increased slightly.
"Hiss~"
Sucking in a sharp breath, Ming Yu knew that Higokumaru was definitely angry.
After thinking for a while with his limited emotional intelligence, Ming Yu finally understood why the girl was angry.
Enduring the burning pain from his back, Ming Yu straightened his face and said, "Sorry, I shouldn't have tried to hide it from you."
Hearing Ming Yu's apology, Higokumaru's stiff expression softened a bit, and her movements became gentle again.
He had already said those words to her, yet he didn't even want to tell her about his injuries. What did Big Bro Yu take her for!?
"In Singapore, there shouldn't be anyone who can hurt Big Bro Yu, right?" Looking at the wound on Ming Yu's back that was still bleeding, Higokumaru's hand couldn't help but pause. "On the Anti-Entropy side, there shouldn't be anyone skilled with this kind of weapon either."
Judging by the depth and length of the wounds, it was clearly a claw-type weapon used by a human. And Singapore didn't have any experts who could match Ming Yu. Anti-Entropy's support for Singapore shouldn't have included sending someone of this level.
If such a person really existed in Singapore, the intelligence Wraith provided would not have overlooked it. It was precisely because she had confirmed the danger level of this operation that Higokumaru had let Ming Yu carry out this mission with peace of mind, although her opposition wouldn't have changed Ming Yu's stubbornness anyway.
Thinking of her place in Ming Yu's heart, Higokumaru couldn't help but recall what Wraith had said to her.
Nodding gently, Higokumaru's eyes were once again filled with determination, and she was even more meticulous when cleaning the wound.
Ming Yu, lying on the sofa, didn't notice the small change in Higokumaru. His thoughts had already drifted back to the battle not long ago.
It had to be said, Raven was indeed a formidable opponent. If she were also in Schicksal, Ming Yu had no doubt that this woman would also have the potential to become an S-rank Valkyrie.
Although he had never truly seen an S-rank Valkyrie go all out, Ming Yu could vaguely feel that Raven had not crossed that line.
If he had to compare, based on the strength Raven had shown tonight, she was not as good as Dark Xuanyuan. In terms of skill alone, Raven was also not as good as a serious Fu Hua.
But for Ming Yu, Raven was still a formidable opponent, an enemy worthy of his full effort.
Even with the Godslayer Armor ahead of time, Ming Yu couldn't unleash its full power, and couldn't compare to the real S-ranks.
The Key of Corruption was not a Divine Key specializing in destruction. Against Raven, who was already prepared for its corrosive power, Jizo Mitama did not have the expected effect.
Against the equally well-equipped Raven, the two could only be said to be evenly matched. Raven left her mark on his body, and he didn't let Raven off easy either.
Probably, that Raven was also hiding in some corner licking her wounds right now.
At this thought, a smug smile appeared on Ming Yu's face. Although he didn't like to actively cause trouble, he would never fear trouble that came looking for him.
But the only thing that concerned him was the timing of World Serpent's arrival. It was too coincidental. During the period when he accepted the infiltration mission in Singapore, both the secret talks and the attack were excellent opportunities.
Perhaps, just as Gray Serpent said, World Serpent had indeed been watching him for a long time. So much so that as soon as a suitable opportunity arose, Gray Serpent came looking for him.
But thankfully, World Serpent's intelligence on the Lunar Abyss armor was insufficient, turning an ambush into an encounter. Otherwise, with the Key of Corruption being countered, Ming Yu might not have come out on top.
"Antidote Type III, External Recovery Agent Type VI."
Feeling the stickiness on his back gradually fading, Ming Yu didn't immediately answer Higokumaru's question, but first directed the girl to treat the wounds on his back.
Raven's weapon was already at the level of a Holy Relic. Even the healing effect of the Lunar Abyss armor was somewhat helpless against these wounds.
Hearing Ming Yu's words, Higokumaru could only temporarily set aside the questions in her heart and quickly took out the first-aid kit to find the corresponding medicine.
"Will these medicines really be effective?"
Looking at the dark wounds on Ming Yu's back, Higokumaru couldn't help but doubt the efficacy of these general-purpose medicines as she sprinkled them on the wounds.
After all, there was no such thing as a panacea in reality. For a certain toxin, often only a corresponding class of drugs could be effective.
The general-purpose medicine issued by Schicksal could handle most situations. But the wounds on Ming Yu's body now were clearly not among them.
"It's better than nothing. I'll have to go to Wraith's place later."
As the only Schicksal base in Singapore, Wraith's place should have a relatively complete stock of supplies. For injuries that Ming Yu could only slowly recover from with his special constitution and the Key of Domination, he should be able to find useful medicine there.
Besides, the matter of World Serpent shouldn't be his alone to worry about. By sharing his troubles, his own troubles would be halved.
Feeling a sudden intense pain on his back, Ming Yu hurriedly bit his lip tightly to prevent himself from crying out in embarrassment.
"World Serpent, have you heard of it?"
Waiting for the tide of pain to subside slightly, Ming Yu finally let out a small sigh of relief and asked Higokumaru.
"World Serpent?"
The girl thought seriously for a moment, but ultimately shook her head. She had no impression of this name.
"Is this why Big Bro Yu was injured?"
Committing those three words to memory, a fierce glint flashed in Higokumaru's eyes.
"Yeah. They are very strong."
Looking at the darkness outside the window, Ming Yu couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
That ability to resist the Key of Corruption really made him concerned. Although this was largely because his development of the Divine Key was not deep enough, it was an indisputable fact that the ever-successful Key of Corruption had failed for the first time.
The Key of Corruption had only been forged within the last year. Ming Yu didn't believe anyone could find a way to counter it so quickly. What's more, he rarely used the true power of the Divine Key in front of others.
Even to this day, in the Far East Branch's database, Jizo Mitama was only a Holy Relic capable of wielding the Mitama Demon Armor.
He could say with great confidence that even Otto did not have the means to counter the Key of Corruption. After all, the only battle where he used the Divine Key in front of the Lord Overseer was the one with that Kaslana.
World Serpent's method was less about targeting the Key of Corruption and more about targeting... the Herrscher of Corruption.
Thinking of this, Ming Yu couldn't help but turn his head to look at Higokumaru, who was still bandaging his wounds.
The girl, focused on her work, didn't notice Ming Yu's gaze. A serene smile still played on her lips, as if she was happy to be useful.
An organization with such foresight... Ming Yu didn't think World Serpent came to Singapore just for sightseeing.
Thinking of the impending arrival of the Gem of Serenity, Ming Yu felt a headache coming on. Shouldn't this kind of thing be a top secret? How did it seem like everyone knew about it?
Due to World Serpent's entry, the originally clear situation in Singapore suddenly became confusing and unpredictable again.