Honkai, why do you only throw me into high-level battles? (Chapter 471-472)

Chapter 471: Welt?

The signal Lin Wei sent was too obvious. Bronya and the other two just stopped the vehicle, exchanged a glance, and then turned and sped toward the direction of the brilliant firework.

"What? There's actually someone out here in this godforsaken place?" Sin was surprised, then a smug smile spread across her face. "See? My idea was better! The way you two were looking before, you wouldn't have found him even by nightfall!"

Actually, the snowmobile would have run out of gas before nightfall, Bronya thought to herself.

That's the thing about looking for a needle in a haystack. You have no idea which way is right and which is wrong; it's pure luck. Sin's seemingly reckless rampage, as it turned out, could sometimes yield unexpected results.

"That place... looks quite far from the orphanage..." Seele silently calculated the distance, feeling a little emotional. For Bronya Oneechan and Mr. Lin Wei to have met in a place like this during the last loop, without knowing anything... that's really amazing!

"Having to return to a place like this in every loop... that guy must be having a pretty rough time, right?" Veliona thought with a hint of schadenfreude, waiting along with the other Seele for their second meeting.

Through a forest, across a frozen river, and around a mountain hollow, the conspicuous signal in the sky finally began to fade. But by now, the three of them were very close to the location it had marked.

However—and there is always a "however"—the unexpected always arrives so suddenly, yet so predictably...

VMMM... ZAP!

Just as Bronya drove around the second mountain hollow, about to reach the signal's location, a pale blue ring of light appeared out of thin air, enveloping the small snowmobile and immobilizing it and its three "passengers."

"Bronya, where are you planning to take them?"

Bronya was startled. Before she could react, a familiar voice reached her ears, and a chill ran down her spine.

Looking in the direction of the voice, she saw a massive mecha standing silently on the mountain ridge.

A short-haired woman in a military uniform stood in front of it, looking rather small in comparison. But anyone who saw this scene would only think that the steel giant was merely an accessory for the woman.

"Mother Cocolia..." Bronya's heart sank.

"Why is she here?" Sin's face turned ugly.

"Could it be..." Seele looked up at the magnificent red in the distant sky, which was already starting to thin, and a sense of foreboding filled her heart. "That's right. Such an obvious mark... I can't be the only one who would be drawn to it."

In the distant sky, the sun was already beginning to set. She had delayed for too long, and Mother Cocolia, who should have been away, had caught up with her...

"What, are you surprised to see me?"

Cocolia leaped down from the ridge. Another mecha appeared out of thin air below, catching her steadily in its palm and gently setting her back on the ground.

The appearance of the second mecha was like flipping an invisible switch. A second, a third, a fourth...

Soon, a dozen mecha of similar models and futuristic designs appeared in different locations. Some were on alert, guarding the surroundings, while others, led by Cocolia, surrounded Bronya and the other two.

"This morning, I received an alarm from the orphanage, saying that a wall in the courtyard had been damaged by an unknown force, and an intrusion was suspected. Shortly after, I was informed that someone had escaped from the orphanage. I was very surprised by this, so I came to take a look."

Cocolia waved her hand, and the light ring that had imprisoned them dissipated. She strode toward the three of them on her long, slender legs. "But what I didn't expect was that the person who did this would be you. Bronya, you've disappointed me."

Her tone was as indifferent and authoritative as ever, with no trace of anger or disappointment, as if she were completely devoid of human emotion.

"I'm sorry, Mother Cocolia..." Bronya spoke up before Sin and Seele, trying to take all the blame on herself. "This was all my idea. We weren't running away, we were just..."

"Heh, of course I know you weren't trying to run away. After all, you've just been going in meaningless circles here. I even thought you were just bored at the orphanage and wanted to come out for a ride."

Cocolia sneered. "But now it seems you've been looking for something... or someone?"

The conspicuous signal in the distance was too obvious, but it also left her puzzled.

Cocolia looked down at the three girls. Her stern, authoritative gaze swept over Seele and Sin, then settled firmly on the gray-haired girl in front. "Tell me, Bronya, why did you act on your own behind my back? What are you up to?"

She found it hard to imagine Bronya would do anything dangerous with her sisters, such as defecting or luring an enemy in while she was away. There had been no signs of anything like that before.

But everything that was happening now, this urgency to meet up with someone, left her with no choice but to be suspicious. So, the moment that dazzling signal bloomed in the sky, she had brought her troops here.

Originally, she was going to stay hidden and see what Bronya and the others were up to. If they really did betray her, as she feared, she could use the opportunity to wipe them all out.

But in the end, she couldn't bear it, or rather, she didn't want to see that worst-case scenario with her own eyes. So, just as Bronya and the others were about to reach the signal's location, she had jumped out to stop them.

Some suspicions are best left as suspicions, Cocolia thought to herself.

"I..."

Faced with Cocolia's interrogation, Bronya was at a loss for words. After all, her reason for doing all this was so absurd.

"...Hmph, if you don't want to talk, then don't."

Seeing this, Cocolia felt even more disappointed. She snorted coldly, turned, and said, "You lot, take them back and keep them under strict supervision. I want to see what kind of secrets are hidden here!"

With that, she turned and strode away, leading a few mecha toward the location of the signal.

"No... you can't!"

Seele cried out. If Mother Cocolia finds Mr. Lin Wei...

"Tch, we can't wait any longer, Seele. We have to act now!"

Veliona had obviously also thought of this terrible outcome. "Let's take down this annoying woman and these damn mecha, then find that guy and leave this uncomfortable world bubble!" she said viciously.

The result of her careless loss to Cocolia last time had been a great humiliation to Veliona, and she had never gotten over it. Now, seeing that woman again, she wanted nothing more than to get her revenge!

"But, Bronya Oneechan, and Sin..." Seele hesitated.

"What's there to hesitate about?" Veliona was exasperated. Weren't you doing so well before? Why are you being so stupid at a critical moment?

"Even if Bronya and the others get caught in our fight, don't forget, everything will be back to normal in the next loop. But that guy Lin Wei, if something happens to him at the hands of that woman Cocolia, he might not be able to come back at all!"

The phantoms in a world bubble might be no different emotionally from their real-world counterparts, but some things just didn't allow for too much indecision.

"I..."

Seele was in a panic. Her eyes darted between Bronya, who was close by, and Cocolia, who was walking away. Finally, she gritted her teeth and gave Bronya an apologetic, bitter smile.

Having made up her mind, Seele said in her heart, "I'm counting on you, other me..."

Somewhere along the line, Seele had gradually come to understand a principle—hesitation only brings more and deeper harm.

The more dangerous the situation, the more bravely and proactively you have to make a choice.

"Heh, you've grown up, Seele..."

Veliona let out a relieved sigh. She had been prepared to forcibly take over the body again and make the decision for her.

Seele closed her eyes and voluntarily relinquished control of her body. The next second, she opened them again, and her entire aura changed abruptly. Her sea-blue eyes were once again replaced by a dark red.

CLANG!

The menacing black scythe cut through the void. The three mecha surrounding the three girls were almost instantly sliced in half at the waist.

"Seele?"

Seele's sudden outburst stunned Bronya. Before she could react further, she and Sin were grabbed, one in each of Veliona's hands, and thrown hard into the dense forest to the left.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Two seconds later, the three mecha that had been sliced in half exploded in a dazzling blaze of fire. The flying steel fragments didn't harm anyone.

"Tsk, it's not that I'm soft-hearted. If you want to thank someone, thank Seele!"

Veliona pouted in dissatisfaction, swung her grim, menacing scythe, and charged straight at the now-distant Cocolia. "Round two begins!"

"Hmm?"

The moment the three mecha were taken down, Cocolia had naturally noticed the huge commotion behind her. She turned and gave a deep look at this wild-looking Seele, who had Seele's face but an aura more like Sin's.

She was a little surprised.

She had never expected that the first one to cause trouble would be the usually timid Seele...

Though surprised, her mind remained calm. Cocolia only glanced back once before paying it no more attention. She just waved a hand, and half of the mecha following her turned to meet the charging Veliona, while more mecha units were summoned to join the fray.

As for herself, she continued to walk into the distance with a few of her personal guard mecha, without looking back.

She wanted to see what it was that had made Seele act so agitated.

As she was pondering why Seele had changed so much, she suddenly saw a thinly clad young man walking lightly through the snow not far away. Her expression immediately turned sharp.

"Who are you?"

"Cough, cough... making such a racket outside my bedroom door, and you're asking me who I am? Cough..."

Lin Wei coughed as he walked, his face as pale as snow, whether from the cold or his illness. Leaning on a black walking stick, he slowly walked up to Cocolia and looked with interest at the fierce battlefield not far behind her.

He chuckled softly. "Long time no see, Cocolia. This place of yours is as lively as ever... cough, cough..."

"..."

Cocolia was sure she had never seen this sickly-looking man before, but she didn't dare to let her guard down. She remained vigilant and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you?"

"You don't recognize me? How disappointing..."

Lin Wei gave the imposing woman a surprised look, then smiled lightly. "Never mind. Let's just say a little hello."

As the words fell, Lin Wei raised a hand, and a black light flashed in his palm, then...

Everything fell silent.

The fluttering snowflakes fell to the ground like iron filings attracted to a magnet. Even the sky cleared. The branches of the nearby trees all pointed toward the ground, groaning and creaking, followed by the sound of snapping and breaking.

The sounds of battle in the distance also stopped. All the mecha were pinned to the ground by an invisible force, unable to move no matter how they struggled.

Looking at Cocolia, who was almost forced to her knees by the gravity, Lin Wei smiled lightly. "Do you know who I am now?"

"...Yes."

Cocolia's face was ugly. Her proud head lowered bit by bit, and she spoke in a deep voice the name that was on the tip of everyone's tongue.

"Lord Welt..."

Schrödinger: "..."

Chapter 472: PUA

I never would have guessed that this sickly-looking guy would pull a stunt like this.

As a witness to the New York incident, Schrödinger found the whole "pretending to be Welt" affair rather strange, even with her usually calm and collected personality.

Especially Lin Wei's effortless control when "casually" using the Herrscher's authority, coupled with Cocolia actually calling out that significant name, further deepened the sense of absurdity.

"Lord Welt..."

Cocolia slightly lowered her usually proud head, suppressing the annoyance of being inexplicably toyed with. "Your Lordship's appearance is ever-changing. Please forgive my failure to recognize you in a timely manner," she said, her tone as steady as she could manage.

Lin Wei's appearance was indeed completely different from the Welt she remembered, and his sudden appearance before her, an Executive of Anti-Entropy, in this unfamiliar form was certainly questionable.

However, the moment he nonchalantly demonstrated his control over gravity, all doubts vanished.

After all, compared to a physical appearance that could be easily altered, the unique Herrscher authority was the irreplaceable mark of the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy.

No matter how many questions she had, as a subordinate, she could only suppress them for now.

"Hehe, cough... It's not your fault, Cocolia. My appearance was indeed a bit sudden."

Lin Wei coughed and smiled, retracting the small bit of gravitational authority he had been exerting. He pointed his walking stick at the messy battlefield in the distance and ordered, "Tell them to stop. This should be a misunderstanding."

His tone was completely natural, as if he really were Welt. Schrödinger's strange feeling intensified.

"Yes, my lord."

Cocolia showed no signs of objection. With a wave of her hand, all the mecha silently put away their weapons. Only then did she say, "It seems today's farce was indeed related to you."

Unconditionally following orders was her duty as an Executive of Anti-Entropy, but that didn't mean Cocolia didn't need an explanation.

Lin Wei secretly observed this other-world Cocolia, feeling that she was much calmer and more calculating than the woman he remembered.

The massive "firework" could be seen by Bronya and Seele a few kilometers away, and by Cocolia's Orphanage dozens of kilometers away.

Therefore, when he fired that signal flare, Lin Wei had already prepared for uninvited guests.

His plan was simple: use Pandora's Box, the Ninth Divine Key, to demonstrate control over gravity, thereby "impersonating" Welt, to either repel or simply take down the meddlesome Cocolia, and successfully meet up with Seele.

He just hadn't expected that both groups would arrive at almost the same time, and that Bronya would be there with a pink-haired girl in boy's clothes, who must be... Sin?

This was indeed a bit delicate...

His Stigmata hadn't recovered, and the suddenly emaciated Lin Wei was practically an empty shell. He might be able to take down Cocolia, and maybe even restrain Bronya and Sin, who would fight for her out of resentment, but... what about Seele?

Therefore, Lin Wei hoped to resolve this sudden incident as peacefully as possible. To that end, against Schrödinger's advice, he had risked coming out to meet Cocolia in his original, thin clothes.

After all, that unprocessed bearskin was too bulky and completely at odds with the "First Herrscher" persona he was trying to portray.

Such an "out-of-character" performance would greatly reduce the credibility of his identity.

This caution was justified, because this Bronya had some subtle differences from her original world counterpart, and Cocolia's changes were shockingly immense.

If it were the Cocolia from the original world, her cunning was extremely shallow. After being almost forced to her knees by his authority, an act of near-rebellion, she probably would have immediately questioned him with furious indignation. How could she be so subtly menacing now?

She's not going to be easy to deal with... Lin Wei thought to himself. He didn't answer Cocolia's question, but instead asked at a leisurely pace, "How is the X-10 experiment progressing?"

As the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy, I have no obligation to answer a subordinate's questions. "Welt-Lin" subtly gave her a small warning.

Since he was already playing the role of a superior, he should be forceful and domineering to the end.

"...Not well, but it is still progressing steadily."

Cocolia's heart skipped a beat. She glanced at the somewhat disheveled Bronya and Sin in the distance and replied, "Two of these three children are participants in the next phase of the experiment, and the other one..."

The suddenly unfamiliar Seele filled Cocolia's heart with questions. "Your Lordship summoning the three of them to this place... could it be that you wish to personally participate in this project?"

If you're here to rush the progress, then you can do it yourself!

"Hehe, cough... I already said, this is a misunderstanding."

Lin Wei, wearing thin summer clothes in the -30 degree cold, endured the extreme chill. His gaze lingered for a moment on Seele, who was rushing toward them, and he said honestly, "I'm just interested in her..."

"Seele..."

This ambiguous answer fit with some of Cocolia's own suspicions. "It seems," she said, understanding, "that Your Lordship is aware of the changes that have occurred in this child?"

Faced with Lin Wei's misleading words, Cocolia's thoughts were in a turmoil. She felt both uneasy and unwilling. She didn't know what dangerous plans the Sovereign had for her daughter.

As an Executive of Anti-Entropy, should she continue to follow orders, or...

Her loyalty to Anti-Entropy and her love for the children clashed at this moment, causing Cocolia's mind to wander for a second. She didn't notice Lin Wei taking advantage of this brief opening to shoot Seele, who was now close by, a look that said, "Stay calm."

The one here now should be Veliona, right? Lin Wei was afraid this unstable factor would ruin his act. I hope this girl is smart enough. If she just blurts out my real name later, this whole play will be ruined!

"...?"

Veliona also noticed Lin Wei's gaze and was taken aback. She had been worried that Cocolia would harm Lin Wei, but now, looking at the relationship between them... why did they seem to be getting along so well?

Noticing that Lin Wei didn't seem to be in any immediate danger, both Seeles felt a sense of relief amidst their surprise. Veliona, still in control of the body, cautiously approached, wanting to see what the two of them were up to.

Seeing that Seele seemed to have understood his intention, Lin Wei was satisfied and looked away. Adopting the tone of the [Sovereign of Anti-Entropy], he calmly answered Cocolia's question.

"This girl named Seele, the Stigmata on her body has begun to awaken. It's natural for there to be some unexpected manifestations, just like with Raiden Ryoma's daughter."

"Stigmata? How did I not..."

"How did you know?" Seele's cry of surprise made Cocolia swallow the "know" that was on the tip of her tongue. That's right, the Sovereign is always so elusive. How would he know?

"Hehe, let's just say I have a special sense for these things." Lin Wei shook his head, his expression turning slightly serious. "I see these children are exhausted. If the X-10 experiment has not made any progress, for safety's sake, I suggest we pause it for a while. After I've done some research on Miss Seele's Stigmata, we can restart the project."

Here, Lin Wei said with a sigh, "We can't just let the children you've adopted be sacrificed for nothing, can we?"

"..."

Cocolia admitted that what he said was tempting, but only a little. She shook her head and said coldly, "Schicksal is pressing us at every turn. I'm afraid we don't have much time to waste."

The fact that the laboratory had to be located at the bottom of the Nattac Strait, far from the European continent, to avoid Schicksal's ever-present surveillance, showed just how precarious Anti-Entropy's situation was.

"Schicksal? Hehe... cough, cough..."

Having been exposed to the cold in thin clothes for too long, Lin Wei felt increasingly unwell. He couldn't help but cough violently a few times, then forced a relaxed tone. "A few days ago, I had a little run-in with Schicksal's Otto and a few of their S-rank Valkyries. They probably won't have much free time in the near future."

Veliona remained silent, just watching quietly and complaining to Seele in her mind, This guy Lin Wei is probably bluffing.

Although Lin Wei said it lightly, a little thought would reveal how thrilling it would have been if it were true.

Because he was wearing the "Welt" persona, Cocolia didn't doubt him too much. She was just astonished and confused. "I haven't detected any unusual movements from Schicksal recently?"

A major battle between the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy, the First Herrscher, and a core member of Schicksal—if such a thing had really happened, how could it have been kept quiet?

A major battle that happened in another world, of course you can't detect it here, Lin Wei complained silently.

Although Cocolia had her doubts, out of respect for Welt, she didn't consider the possibility that "Welt was lying." Because the Lord Welt standing before her had looked weak and fragile from the moment he appeared, which made her uncertain. "You... are injured?"

"Hehe, cough... just a minor injury." Lin Wei refused Cocolia's offer of support and smiled with forced ease. "He laid a trap for me and invited me to be his 'guest.' But he's not having a good time now either..."

This was the truth. After such a mutually destructive battle, Schicksal was on the verge of collapse. The disgraced Otto was probably still tearing his hair out over the wavering loyalty of his subordinates.

Although this all happened in the original world and had nothing to do with this world, it didn't stop Lin Wei from bragging about it in front of Cocolia.

Never mind if we're on different servers. The question is, is what I'm saying true or not!

Cocolia was now in a state of confusion.

Her intelligence network had been monitoring Schicksal and had detected nothing unusual, let alone the major battle "Lord Welt" had spoken of.

But he said it with such conviction, and his weakened state didn't seem to be an act.

After much thought, she could only conclude that the intelligence network she had built was no match for Schicksal's, and that even such a major event could be easily suppressed.

This conclusion made her both angry and unwilling to accept it.

"If there's nothing else, you can leave. Seele will stay and assist me with some necessary research. I will return her to you, unharmed, tomorrow or the day after."

Lin Wei saw that both Bronya and Sin couldn't help but glance at Cocolia after he said this, so he added with a timely smile, "Don't worry, I'll be nearby. I won't leave. If you're worried, you two can stay as well and keep your Seele company."

"..."

Veliona was speechless. She had just realized something. It seemed like there was no need to fight anymore. The matter was about to be resolved amicably?!

What just happened?
What did Lin Wei just do?
What did I miss?

She looked around with a confused expression, but no one could give her an answer.

"...Yes, my lord."

Cocolia wanted to say more.

But "Welt" had clearly stated his request, deadline, and promise, so she couldn't press any further. Her questions and confusion would have to wait for another day.

A blue light flashed, and Cocolia's mecha units retreated one by one. Cocolia gave Lin Wei and Seele a deep look, then teleported away as well, leaving the three girls staring at each other, at a loss, and Lin Wei, still standing in the snow as if petrified.

"..."

He held on for a few more moments. After confirming that Cocolia had left, Lin Wei's tense nerves finally relaxed. His vision went black, and he nearly collapsed. Schrödinger appeared in time to support him. "That was too reckless."

"Hehe, sorry," Lin Wei smiled lightly. "At least we avoided a meaningless conflict. Isn't that a good outcome?"

---||---

"Who was that ghostly woman?"

On the mountain ridge not far behind them, Cocolia had appeared at some point. She watched Lin Wei and the others leave, and naturally noticed the sudden appearance of Schrödinger, of whom she had no memory.

But that didn't matter.

"Heh, in the end, you still don't trust me." Cocolia sneered. She had also seen the weakness "Welt" had shown after she left.

She turned and walked away, issuing an inconspicuous new order into her communicator. "Send some medical supplies to this location."

With that, she disappeared in a flash of blue light.

Now, she had more important things to do. Since the X-10 experiment was on hold, she planned to use this time to overhaul and strengthen her weak intelligence network.

Whether it was caution or distrust, she didn't care. She was just doing her duty.

As for her three daughters...

Whether they were really research assistants or hostages while the Sovereign recovered...

Cocolia still sneered at this question. When the Sovereign returned them next time, she would demand an explanation!