Raven glanced at the magnificent, golden nightclub, a trace of disgust flashing in her eyes. But thinking of her current situation, she gritted her teeth and slipped in through a side path.
"You're too slow, Raven."
Unlike the hustle and bustle of the main hall, the small path reserved for internal personnel was quite deserted. The masked Gray Serpent was already waiting there, his large black umbrella folded and propped by his side, his red electronic eye betraying no emotion.
"Ahem... that Ming Yu is much trickier than the intel suggested."
Clutching her shoulder with one hand, Raven stared at Gray Serpent with her beautiful eyes, her tone filled with complaint.
As the head of intelligence for World Serpent, Gray Serpent had not played his part in this operation.
"Did that thing not work?" A red light flickered in his electronic eye, and Gray Serpent's tone seemed to hold a hint of confusion. "Let's not rush to talk about it here. Jackal is already waiting for you inside. However, it seems she'll have to wait a little longer. Do you need help?"
Raven looked down at her left shoulder. Red blood was gushing from the wound, and her right hand, which was pressing on it, was already stained red.
It was a piercing wound.
If the Key of Corruption had functioned as expected, this sword strike should have been able to pierce her heart. But with the help of that item, Raven managed to avoid a fatal blow, while also leaving those three gashes across Ming Yu's entire back.
But even with the help of the mysterious item, the power of a Divine Key was still formidable. Her left shoulder had almost completely lost sensation, and the corrosive virus still lingered in her body. As for her claw-like weapon, which was comparable to a Holy Relic, one of its three sharp claws had been broken, and the remaining two were covered in sword marks of varying depths.
"No need, I can handle it myself. I hope you've made preparations for the Key of Corruption and can provide effective healing medication."
Glancing at Gray Serpent's emotionless electronic eye, Raven said coldly.
Although the residual toxin wasn't fatal when far from the Key of Corruption, it was still far beyond what ordinary poisons could compare to. Even for her body, enhanced by Honkai Energy, resisting it was incredibly difficult.
"Of course. We are always prepared for the Honkai."
Watching Raven's back as she walked towards the medical room on her own, Gray Serpent said in a deep voice, an inexplicable light shining in his red-glowing electronic eye.
"Also, can't you change the location of your base? It's so tacky it's sickening!"
Hearing Raven's undisguised disgust, Gray Serpent simply chuckled, replying slowly, neither pleased nor angered: "I'm just an information broker. This is the most suitable place for the flow of information, that's all."
Only the sound of footsteps echoed in the silent corridor, with no reverberation. It was unclear if Raven had heard Gray Serpent's explanation.
...
A short while later, all the cadres present at the base finally gathered in the meeting room: Gray Serpent, Raven, and Jackal... 's projection.
"Since everyone is here, let's begin."
Looking at Raven, whose face was still a shade pale and the traces of a bandage visible on her neck, Gray Serpent's tone was completely calm, as if he had seen nothing.
In World Serpent, everyone was responsible for themselves; warmth and concern were just boring luxuries. Since Raven chose to appear, Gray Serpent had no reason to object.
"I'll start," Jackal's projection spoke first. "Raven, how were the abilities of the Key of Corruption compared to our predictions? Was that item effective?"
Looking at the masked woman in the projection, even though it was just a 3D hologram, Raven could still feel the eagerness in Jackal's eyes.
"Judging from tonight's battle, the Key of Corruption can indeed interfere with the operation of equipment. That item was indeed very effective. But if you want to rely on it to fight a Herrscher, it's still far from enough."
A cold sneer appeared at the corner of Raven's mouth as she recalled the look of astonishment on Ming Yu's face at that moment.
Even Divine Keys, even the power of a Herrscher, could fail. That claw strike would serve as a lesson for that kid.
A fierce glint flashed in Raven's eyes as she felt the soreness in her left arm.
That item was, after all, still a prototype. It couldn't completely block the interference from the Key of Corruption, which allowed Ming Yu to seize that fleeting opportunity. Although it was a draw this time, the next time, it would be hard to say!
"At least the direction is correct. Give me the detailed data later."
Having gotten the result she wanted, Jackal nodded in satisfaction.
"What about the Key of Corruption? You didn't retrieve it? If we could get our hands on the actual item, the research progress would be much faster. Relying solely on the fragmented data left by the Previous Era is too slow."
As if suddenly remembering something, Jackal's gaze fell on Raven. More precisely, it fell on the bandage on Raven's neck, where a faint trace of crimson could be seen through the white cloth.
"That battlesuit is much stronger than the intel suggested. To be able to develop the armor to that extent in such a short time, that Ming Yu is not to be underestimated!"
Glaring at Gray Serpent, Raven said with some exasperation.
"The core of the Lunar Abyss armor is a Key of Domination. According to records, that Key of Domination once displayed the powers of thunder, fire, and ice. But after falling into that Ming Yu's hands and being modified into a battlesuit, how much of the Divine Key's power can possibly remain?"
Faced with Raven's clear accusation, Gray Serpent calmly began to present facts and reason.
The powers of thunder, fire, and ice, while troublesome, were not unbeatable. Moreover, after modification, even a genius like Otto could only preserve so much of a Divine Key's abilities.
Coming from Gray Serpent, these words were practically a direct jab at Raven's capabilities.
Sure enough, as soon as Raven heard Gray Serpent, she became furious. She held up her thumb and pinky finger and roared, "Six types! That battlesuit has the power of six Herrschers, all at the level of an Emperor-class Honkai Beast!"
Although the power of an Emperor-class Honkai Beast mainly came from its tough carapace, some Emperor-class Honkai Beasts that controlled natural forces also possessed immense destructive power.
The thought of those extremely troublesome Herrscher abilities made Raven's anger flare up. If the distance hadn't been an issue, she would have wanted to pull out the 3rd Divine Key and fire it at Ming Yu, just to let that kid have a taste of a Divine Key's power too.
Actually, Raven missed one type. But the power to heal oneself was truly too inconspicuous compared to the other abilities.
"That Key of Domination... I really want to study it."
Hearing Raven's description, Jackal's eyes immediately filled with a fanatical fervor.
"It seems the database needs an update. Thank you for your hard work, Raven."
Nodding, Gray Serpent acknowledged Raven's work, selectively ignoring his previous statement.
"They say battle is the best form of communication. What's your take on that Ming Yu?"
Looking directly into Raven's eyes, Gray Serpent asked bluntly.
"Although that guy probably isn't human, I feel that he truly is a human."
Frowning in thought for a moment, Raven gave a vague answer.
That deliberate act of shifting the battlefield, that intentional creation of sound and light effects—all of it made Raven feel that Ming Yu did not want to involve the innocent. And this was a point that even she, a human, didn't care about.
Just as an elephant doesn't care about the lives of ants, Ming Yu, as a visitor from another world, shouldn't have been like this.
"Hmph! Those not of our kind are bound to have different hearts. His objective is definitely not simple. Let's slow down our contact with him for now. When the Lord returns, none of this will be a problem."
With a cold snort, Gray Serpent said faintly. But when he mentioned the word "Lord," one could feel the infinite reverence in his tone.
Looking at the self-assured Gray Serpent, Raven hesitated for a long while before nodding as well. Interstellar friendly aid and the like... she, who had followed the law of the jungle since childhood, would not believe in such things.
Seeing that all matters had been addressed, Jackal said her goodbyes and cut the communication. The translucent blue projection instantly vanished.
Even though all three of them knew that the Gem of Serenity would soon arrive in Singapore, they tacitly avoided mentioning it. Although the bait was tempting, when the one holding the fishing rod was that Archbishop, World Serpent was not yet ready to enter the game and expose itself.