Singapore...
This nation prospered due to its location on a vital shipping route, and as a result, it became a melting pot of all sorts of people.
Although the social situation here was very stable, a large number of underworld members were still active in this place.
Bronya and Brian arrived at a designated location, ordered two cups of coffee, and waited for their partner to arrive.
At this moment, with the rescue of Seele already underway, Bronya felt a sense of panic in her heart for some reason...
"Will they... really come?"
What if Raven doesn't come? What if World Serpent doesn't want to cooperate with them?
Is Seele okay in the Sea of Quanta right now? Is she in danger there?
When the success or failure of a matter depends on the will of others, everything becomes so worrying.
"Relax, as long as there's a chance to achieve their goal, World Serpent will definitely not give up."
The young Brian was very certain.
He was certain that World Serpent would cooperate with him and agree to all his conditions.
For the current World Serpent, they had everything except for a powerful combatant.
Armies, influence, territory, research, money...
The only thing they lacked was a powerful fighting force capable of suppressing the entire world, like Schicksal's S-rank Valkyrie Durandal.
As long as they welcomed Kevin Kaslana back from the Sea of Quanta, everything they lost in this transaction could be easily taken back.
It didn't matter how much they lost. As long as they had Kevin Kaslana, the strongest being in the world, nothing would be a problem.
Unless the Herrscher of the End appeared.
"I hope so."
Bronya sipped her coffee in small mouthfuls, hoping that the woman she once fought on the snowy plains would appear soon.
The sooner she appeared, the sooner her heart would be at ease.
The wait felt a bit long. Bronya didn't know how many cups of coffee she had refilled before the figures in the shop and on the street gradually emptied out.
"They're here."
With important matters to be discussed here, the World Serpent organization would naturally choose to clear the area first.
Soon after, a gray-haired, red-eyed urban beauty with a black-robed figure walked into the coffee shop, adding a touch of coldness to the originally warm interior.
There was no need to guess the identity of the urban beauty; it was undoubtedly Natasha Cioara.
The black-robed figure's eye sockets glowed with a persistent deep red light, and its pale faceplate was filled with a sinister aura.
All bionic bodies were similar in size; this Gray Serpent was not much different from the ones in Brian's memory.
"Have a seat. Let's talk about our cooperation."
At Brian's invitation, Gray Serpent and Raven sat down opposite them, both sizing up the other party.
Bronya forced herself to calm down and looked over Gray Serpent and Raven, but couldn't make out anything.
Gray Serpent and Raven ignored Bronya's presence and conducted a deep assessment of the Herrscher of Death before them.
Before coming, they had searched the world for this man's information, but just as the Schicksal Overseer had found nothing useful, World Serpent also found nothing.
It was as if Nagazora City, which they had chosen as the first verification site for the Stigma Project, was his starting point, and he was the only player in this world.
It was abnormally unbelievable.
Before discussing the cooperation, Gray Serpent decided to ask some questions first: "Mr. Brian, I think before we begin, I should ask you a few questions."
"The answers to these questions will determine whether we can continue to cooperate."
"Please."
First question.
"Where are you from? We at World Serpent, like that Schicksal Overseer, have not been able to find your past, as if you appeared out of thin air."
Brian did indeed appear out of thin air; he didn't even know which direction his home was in.
But since the purpose of today was to cooperate with World Serpent, he couldn't say something so sensational.
"I was born on Earth, but I can no longer find the way back to the past; whether my hometown has been destroyed or not, I can no longer find the way back."
Behind the gray eye's deep red light, the artificial intelligence's lie detection algorithm ran at high speed, calculating the probability of this man lying.
Conclusion: Over 95% probability of telling the truth, with the remaining possibility being that this guy is an alien.
Gray Serpent asked again: "What is your purpose in cooperating with World Serpent?"
The young Brian stroked Bronya's head and replied: "To rescue her sister from the Sea of Quanta."
Gray Serpent: "..."
Although he had guessed this possibility, when it actually appeared before him, he felt a sense of absurdity.
He didn't believe this guy was unaware of the impact Kevin Kaslana's return to the Real World would have on the world situation, yet this guy still did it without hesitation for a woman.
At this moment, he could finally understand what those feudal lords toyed with by the flames of war must have been thinking.
A man controlled by the few ounces of flesh below his waist... was simply incomprehensible!
"What an unexpected answer."
With a sigh, Gray Serpent chose to move on to the negotiation phase.
"Since you've sought out World Serpent for cooperation, you should be well aware of World Serpent's needs."
"Letting our Sovereign, Kevin Kaslana, obtain a beacon to return to the Real World is our only demand!"
Rescuing Seele Vollerei from the Sea of Quanta was Brian's personal affair, not a negotiable condition, and World Serpent couldn't use it as leverage.
"Our demands are also simple. Your World Serpent must provide me with a beacon that can return to the Real World, and take me to the Elysian Realm once."
"Oh, and I'll be bringing Jizo Mitama with me."
The first demand was very simple; one beacon or two made no difference.
But this second demand...
"The Elysian Realm... that's not a friendly place. What do you want to do there?"
The Elysian Realm preserved the data of the thirteen masters of World Serpent and was also an important facility for training its cadres.
Raven developed the full potential of her Stigma in this place, Jackal received enlightenment here, and also nearly died at the hands of one of the Flame-Chasers.
If Brian didn't have Jizo Mitama, letting him visit once would be fine.
But the very existence of Jizo Mitama would leave the Elysian Realm with no secrets before a Divine Key, and it would face the threat of destruction.
In short, the Elysian Realm itself was not very important, but the secrets hidden within it were.
But!
"In the presence of Kevin Kaslana, no matter what I obtain from the Elysian Realm, it will not affect the future."
"Will it?"
Gray Serpent: "..."
The power of that man was just that convincing.
Even his opponents would be sincerely convinced by his power.
Even if they lost the Elysian Realm, for a World Serpent that had Kevin Kaslana, it would not be a problem at all.
Power makes one calm.
Since there was a risk that World Serpent would no longer be able to train its cadres, Gray Serpent should logically retaliate against the man before him.
"I can agree to you entering the Elysian Realm, but I need to add one more condition."
"Name it."
"Our cadre, Raven, will enter the Sea of Quanta with you."
Raven: "..."
That bastard! He's selling me out!
It was bad enough that this bastard wanted her to go to the Sea of Quanta, but he even wanted her to go with the Inner World Protagonist who would brutally inject people with pregnancy luck.
Raven had already imagined her own ending.
If some accident happened in the Sea of Quanta, under this man's coercion and enticement, she would surely be unable to bear the loneliness and find a guy to vent her frustrations.
Her already ravenous body, after tasting true pleasure, would instantly be changed forever.
They would form a wonderful duo with heart-shaped eyes and scissor hands in the Sea of Quanta, and her brother, far away in heaven, could finally rest in peace.
Their Cioara family... finally has an heir!
O (╥﹏╥) O.
If it weren't for the outsiders present, Raven would have almost blown this godfather's brains out.
But now was negotiation time, so Raven could only struggle for her chastity: "I won't..."
"That's an order!"
Gray Serpent left no room for refusal.
Are you kidding me? He only cared about whether World Serpent's Sovereign Kevin Kaslana could return to Earth; he couldn't care less about the love life of this hired muscle, Raven.
As long as that lord was around, this hired muscle Raven was an optional extra.
Besides, without Raven, World Serpent would still have Yutu. At worst, they could reactivate the MANTIS surgery technology inherited from the Previous Era and mass-produce suitable powerhouses.
And if Raven could successfully obtain the bloodline of a Herrscher, it wouldn't be a bad research project at all.
World Serpent might not be too interested in this project, but the masters in the Elysian Realm would definitely not mind giving it a try.
Raven: "..."
Resist! Fight!
But... it was futile.
"Fine, I'll go."
But!
"You have to pay more!"
If she couldn't avoid the possibility of being brutally injected with pregnancy luck, then she would fleece this old bastard Gray Serpent for all he was worth.
If there was a chance in the future, she would put a bullet in this old bastard's head to let him know the consequences of selling her out.
Everything was settled.
"A pleasure doing business with you."
"A pleasure doing business with you."
The four who reached an agreement each blended back into the crowd, disappearing into the vast sea of people.
Bronya witnessed the entire negotiation process, but felt it went a little too smoothly.
"Will they... really cooperate with us sincerely?"
"Why not?"
Arriving at the next meeting point, Brian answered Bronya.
"There are no conflicts of interest between us. The little friction that happened in Manila before was harmless."
"Bronya, in the adult world, there is no absolute justice or evil, only relative right and wrong."
Bronya: "I'm not a child anymore, I don't need you to teach me this!"
Realizing she had misspoken, the girl quickly apologized: "Sorry, I'm worried about Seele, my thoughts are a bit chaotic."
The young Brian waved his hand: "It's okay, I can understand how you feel."
"After all, I'll soon be able to make Seele and Mei good sisters."
Bronya: (ᗜ˰ᗜ)
The moment you rescue little Seele from the Sea of Quanta, I'll take her and run away in the dead of night!
You mere Inner World Protagonist, just be a good little worker for this great Metal Gear Bronya!
Bronya's calculations were ringing loudly in her mind, and Brian was well aware of them.
But he didn't care. After all, Seele was still trapped in the Sea of Quanta, so it was too early to argue about these things.
The silver-gray-haired girl played out a little scene in her mind of a brave female warrior ravaging a goblin, and then slowly returned from her inner world.
The man beside her sat quietly on a bench in the pedestrian street, as if waiting for someone.
But she didn't know.
"Who are you waiting for now?"
"Waiting for my little lover."
Bronya: "..."
You have so many little lovers, I don't even know who you're talking about!
There's the deadly S-rank Valkyrie ex-girlfriend Rita Rossweisse, and even more unknown ex-girlfriends lurking in the shadows.
Raiden Mei and Kiana are also on the list of little lovers, and Ana Schariac has the advantage of proximity.
Bronya wanted to leave. She didn't want to be stuffed under the bed by this guy like last time.
"I'm leaving first. I've taken so many days off, I need to report back to the Principal and make up for the classes I've missed."
The silver-gray-haired girl made a move to leave, her real purpose being to distance herself from this man to avoid seeing anything indecent.
But before she could take a step...
"She's here."
A chestnut-haired girl walked through the crowd and approached.
"Hi~ Bronya, long time no see."
Today, Ana Schariac was wearing a pure white dress, her chestnut hair falling naturally, adorned with a delicate little hair clip.
The slender calves below the hem of her dress shimmered like jade in the sunlight, and the delicate ladies' leather boots added a touch of cuteness.
"Ana, you're here."
The Inner World Protagonist had always been quite proactive. He directly reached out and held the girl's slender waist, causing a blush to appear on Ana's delicate face.
Although they had already done the most intimate things, she was still not used to such close contact.
After all, their relationship had developed too quickly, going directly from strangers to testing the depths.
They were more like fuck buddies than lovers.
In short, their relationship still needed to be cultivated.
Bronya: "Since the person you were waiting for has arrived, I'll be heading back now."
What came next would surely be R-rated. A Russian loli like her, whose figure had not yet developed and whose mind was not yet mature, should not pollute her eyes.
However...
"What's the hurry? With that clever little brain of yours, even if you play outside for a few months, your grades will still be better than that idiot Kiana's."
"Since you have the chance to be out, why not hang out with us for a while?"
Bronya: "..."
I think you're using me as a drudge!
But the chance to save Seele was within reach. Even if she knew she was being used for some strange play, Bronya could only accept.
This inherently evil Inner World Protagonist was too evil!
"Bronya understands."
...
On the other side...
The dim and narrow corridor could not change Natasha Cioara's determination.
She didn't want to act together with that man who brought people pregnancy luck. She would rather charge into the Sea of Quanta alone to find their Sovereign.
But the decision of Gray Serpent, the great steward, could not be changed. Perhaps in his eyes, she alone was not enough to achieve the goal.
The mission to the Sea of Quanta was imperative!
But this didn't mean Raven would give up struggling. As long as she hadn't been brutally injected with pregnancy luck, she would not give up her dream of a villa and an island, and let her brother in heaven rest in peace.
Reaching the end of the passage, she was already more than ten kilometers deep into the rock formation.
Raven, who had been here many times, pushed open the large door in front of her without hesitation and entered the warm-toned lobby of the Elysian Realm.
The floor here was completely paved with ancient metal. The elegance of art and high-end technology blended here under careful design.
A first-time visitor might be shocked by the existence of this ruin, but for Raven, it was just a regular occurrence.
Her animal-like crimson vertical pupils swept across the hall and found a second person besides the administrator of this place.
"Eden, I didn't expect to run into you here every time I've come to the Elysian Realm these past few times."
The woman on the leather couch, who was sipping fine wine, looked towards the entrance of the Elysian Realm and smiled: "Natasha, long time no see."
"Are you here to drink with me again this time?"
Although they said they were drinking together, it was somewhat inevitable that she would help this girl with small favors.
As the most outstanding artist of the Previous Era, no one could surpass Eden's achievements in art.
And Raven, a killer from the underworld, would sometimes acquire gems and antiques, which she would bring to Eden for appraisal.
Over time, the two became acquainted and their relationship was quite good.
This also allowed Raven to understand the secrets here better than other World Serpent cadres.
Problems that couldn't be solved in the outside world could sometimes find a solution here.
Raven said apologetically: "Eden, although I'd love to get drunk with you like usual, I'm in a real hurry this time!"
"Has something major happened in the outside world?"
Although the Elysian Realm was secluded, some information could be gathered from the visitors.
At the very least, the Herrscher of the Void, who once possessed six Herrscher Cores, was also a famous name here.
Raven explained: "That guy Gray Serpent wants me to go to the Sea of Quanta to welcome back that 'Deliverance'."
Eden put down her wine glass and slowly listened to her friend's story.
"He wants me to go with a Herrscher to ensure the success of the mission."
"This Herrscher himself is not a major threat to my life, but!!!"
"He wants me to have his babies. I came to ask if there's any solution."
Eden: "..."??????????
When I type out question marks, it means one of us has a problem!
...