After confirming that the Elysian Realm was also uncertain due to system reasons, Tian Shi discussed the pre-civilization era with Gray Serpent through text.
Although there's a suspicion of stealing information, Gray Serpent doesn't care. In his opinion, anyone who finds their memory very blurry can't help but want to find out more.
But after the conversation, Tian Shi genuinely found that there was nothing of value left in Gray Serpent's memory.
That history has completely blurred.
"Miss Rita, are you truly unwilling to be our leader? Although we, the World Serpent, have always lurked in the shadows, but... in some aspects, we are no weaker than Schicksal."
Before leaving, Gray Serpent still asked, seemingly unwilling to give up.
From his demeanor, it wouldn't be the last time he'd ask Rita this.
"Mr. Gray Serpent, you never truly wanted me to be your leader, did you?"
Rita smiled and explained everything clearly.
However, none of those present seemed embarrassed. After all, Gray Serpent's meaning was quite obvious.
"And if it's for him... why don't you ask him?"
"..." Gray Serpent was silent for a moment, then replied: "Although His Excellency is wise and intelligent... for mediocre people, a visible sign is more necessary."
"So, a pet?" Rita chuckled.
With her relationship with Tian Shi in mind, Gray Serpent didn't hide his own little plan.
To be honest, Rita isn't important to the World Serpent at all.
If Tian Shi hadn't been there, it wouldn't have been difficult for the World Serpent to surround and kill Rita, who had fallen into the trap; in fact, in the original plot, if Kiana hadn't intervened, Rita might indeed have fallen into this trap.
But Tian Shi is very important. This is enough to make Gray Serpent, the leader of the World Serpent, ask her to become their leader.
If Rita becomes the World Serpent's leader, what she'll do is be a spokesperson, to put it mildly, but to put it bluntly, she'll just be Tian Shi's spokesperson, no different from a pet.
Well, an S-rank Valkyrie's combat power is still quite valuable, but it also depends on who she's compared to.
"It seems the Lord thinks the same way?" Gray Serpent was a little disappointed.
Tian Shi is weighing the pros and cons right now.
To be honest, the World Serpent's penetration into this world is not small at all. If he accepts it, it will undoubtedly be an extremely reliable power.
But on the other hand... Tian Shi felt that his ideas were actually in conflict with the World Serpent's purpose.
—Tian Shi didn't like the so-called Stigmata Project at all, even though that plan was devised by Mei and was a very feasible plan.
The essence of the Stigmata Project is to distribute all the Honkai energy in the world among all people to carry out a survival-of-the-fittest process.
Those who survive in the end will have strong resistance to Honkai energy and sufficient combat power to fight Honkai.
It sounds a bit like the so-called Herd Immunity. But the problem lies here. The Stigmata Project is the World Serpent's "doctrine."
It is with this reliable plan that it can unite its members.
If this plan ends... what will happen to the World Serpent? But unfortunately, Tian Shi can't bear it.
After all, the few words revealed in the Post-Honkai Book seemed to have nothing to do with this Stigmata Project.
It's basically unlikely for something as ridiculous as "first removing a correct answer" to happen. Even if we take a step back... isn't my simulation more useful than the Stigmata Project?
At worst, I can save Mobius and Mei, the two researchers of the Stigmata Project! Thinking of this, Tian Shi's thoughts cleared, and the next moment, new words appeared on the computer screen.
"I can be your leader temporarily, but how about we end the Stigmata Project?"
Tian Shi didn't pretend to be mysterious and directly put this condition in front of Gray Serpent.
If it works, it works. If not, then we can go our separate ways!
Now the control of the entire building is still in Tian Shi's hands, it's not difficult for him and Rita to break through.
Sure enough, Tian Shi's condition directly silenced Gray Serpent and Jackal.
"It can be paused."
After a period of thought, the answer given by Gray Serpent surprised Tian Shi, who had thought it was over.
"If you find a more viable plan, we are willing to cancel the entire Stigmata Project, but if not... I will continue with this plan when I deem it appropriate."
Gray Serpent's words were already very accommodating, which completely exceeded Tian Shi's expectations.
After all, this plan is one of the results of both Mobius and Mei. Mei might be set aside for now, but in Gray Serpent's opinion, Mobius's will is definitely the highest.
"Do you really trust me that much?"
"I simply trust Master Mobius."
Gray Serpent's trust in Tian Shi came completely from Mobius and Hua.
The words "wise and intelligent" were not something he said lightly, but rather the impression he had from Mobius and Hua.
Therefore, Gray Serpent still believes in Tian Shi's ability.
That is Tian Shi. If Kevin wanted to end the Stigmata Project for no reason, Gray Serpent would dare to throw this "Lord" off the ship, because he knew that Kevin probably wouldn't be able to come up with a more feasible plan than the Stigmata Project.
But it was obvious that even Tian Shi couldn't make Gray Serpent completely end his plan with a single sentence. At most, he could only pause it.
"Alright, but this matter has nothing to do with Rita." After leaving these words, Tian Shi released his possession.
"Come on, Rita, there's no need to drag things out; we've got what we want."
"Well, Mr. Gray Serpent, until next time."
After hearing Tian Shi's words, Rita left without lingering.
She still has many things to ask her Guardian Angel.
Such as... who is Mobius? Hua... well, it should be Fu Hua. There are also things like the Elysian Realm and the Stigmata Project. Rita already has many questions in her mind.
But obviously, as a lady, Rita wouldn't embarrass her partner at this moment... Of course, it's another story after returning home.
"..."
"Gray Serpent, are we really going to suspend the Stigmata Project?"
Looking at Rita leaving, as the current researcher of the Stigmata Project, it can be seen that Jackal was still somewhat dissatisfied with this decision.
"Anyway, according to the original plan, Lord Kevin cannot be rescued, and the Stigmata Project will have to be temporarily inactive. Now it's just a different excuse."
Gray Serpent's words directly blocked all the complaints Jackal had prepared.
"You're good, you're amazing, you haven't even forgotten your plan by now."
"Jackal, with your intelligence level, you should focus on your research." Raven, who had just been ridiculed, took this opportunity to mock her.
Well, it's not actually sarcasm. From a certain perspective, what Raven said is true.
"Ha! Let someone put on their pants before criticizing me!"
Jackal looked disdainfully at Raven's bare thigh.
"Why didn't that maid stuff all the stockings from your legs into your mouth? It would've been better to stuff your face with your shoes afterward."
"You...!"
"Raven, check the computer over there." Gray Serpent pointed to the computer Tian Shi had possessed and gave orders in his usual cold and ruthless voice. Looking at these two people, Gray Serpent also had a headache.
Jackal's mouth... Gray Serpent gave Jackal a cold glance, and suddenly Jackal seemed to recall the scene where Gray Serpent pointed a gun at her head.
Obviously, Gray Serpent is warning her. Jackal, who had just been frightened, immediately fell silent.
"Hmm... I found a string of numbers. It seems to be a phone number. Uh... it's an international call."
Since Tian Shi intended to make things difficult for no one, Raven quickly found new information on the computer.
"Let me see."
Gray Serpent extended his hand, and Raven immediately handed him the copied number.
In reality, he couldn't believe it was a phone number or anything like that. After all, phone numbers are a bit low-level for their communications.
"It shouldn't be any secret code."
Gray Serpent checked the string of numbers in front of him using code templates from the previous civilization and the current civilization.
Either they didn't match at all, or the results were completely irrelevant.
Could it really be a cell phone number? Fortunately, as an intelligence dealer, Gray Serpent always carries a mobile phone to communicate.
But before making the call, Gray Serpent suddenly remembered something.
"By the way, Raven, I found a new job for you, would you like to try it?"
"Job?"
Raven tilted her head, a little unable to grasp Gray Serpent's jump in thought, but more money... is always a good thing. Frankly speaking, she's a bit short on cash.
"Tell me?"
"Go to Schicksal to be a maid, or in other words, be a maid for that Lord."
"Gray Serpent, are you crazy?!"
That bitch took my stockings and stuffed them in my mouth, and now you want me to get close to her again!?
"Listen to me." Gray Serpent wasn't surprised by Raven's reaction.
"The reward is a private island."
"...Um, this... I think I can consider it..." Raven's voice quickly faded. This reward was too tempting for her.
"Add a luxury villa with various educational, medical, and amusement park facilities: that's one of our bases. Unless civilization is destroyed, there's no need to worry about the island sinking."
Gray Serpent didn't bother listening to Raven's consideration and raised the stakes directly.
"I guarantee to complete the mission!" Raven was knocked out.
Before today, Raven had always considered herself a dignified woman who wouldn't bend for a few dollars.
But now she knew that the only reason she hadn't given in was because the price wasn't high enough.
How many tasks did she have to complete and how many people did she have to kill just to be able to buy an island and a villa? What is the price Gray Serpent is offering now?
A base island that is not afraid of sinking, a luxurious villa provided by the organization, and various facilities that children will love.
Suddenly, Raven felt that after completing this task, her life would be complete.
Didn't someone take my stockings and stuff them in my mouth earlier?
If she really worked as a maid for Rita... no, for that Lady, she would get such a generous reward.
She would even accept it, that Rita stuffed both her stockings in her mouth and told her to swallow them.
And most importantly, this doesn't violate her life's creed: she is not a lackey of Schicksal, she is just working hard to better help "that Lord" eliminate the Honkai.
By the way, Raven actually supports the termination of the Stigmata Project from a personal standpoint. After all, she truly can't stand Jackal's human experiments.
"I've sent you the information about the island base. Please send me your decoration plan in a few days."
Even Gray Serpent felt a little tired at this moment.
From the hopelessness of rescuing Kevin to the violation of Shencheng Medical Building, the two major setbacks may have caused some changes in the mentality of his own cadres.
Raven, who moments ago had a gloomy face and a hint of revenge in her eyes from time to time, now looks like she can't wait to go to work.
"Can you be bribed by this little thing?" Jackal curled the corner of her mouth.
Raven glanced at Jackal and didn't bother to pay attention to her.
You're amazing, you're arrogant! You, Jackal, are the big boss of Shencheng Pharmaceutical. Millions and tens of millions of dollars flow into your wallet every day without you doing anything.
Robbing a bank isn't as fast as making money in the pharmaceutical industry.
But I, Raven, am just a mercenary.
Did you know that to make money, I registered a small account called "Snake Feather" in addition to "Raven" on the Charon List?
Then fought to climb to the first or second place on the list?
A desk jockey like you can't understand how competitive our business is!
But now that she has received the reward, Raven, who is happy, is too lazy to argue with Jackal about these things.
In her opinion, perhaps this is the last time she and Jackal will work together.
In the future, she won't have to watch this woman conduct human experiments, nor will she have to accompany her when she goes crazy.
Goodbye~! Although when it comes to Rita, it might not be too good. Well, no matter how bad it is, it should be better than Jackal.
She and Jackal almost have a conflict of values. As for Rita... Raven thinks that Rita doesn't seem to have any flaws except for her disgusting fake smile. What? Hate? Is it there? No! Raven happily chased Rita downstairs.
"This girl."
Raven's mind has long been out of the World Serpent.
"She stayed here only out of habit."
Although Raven's reaction left Gray Serpent a little speechless, it was not unexpected.
After all, Raven had abandoned the World Serpent once before and opened a tavern, but found that she was still used to the World Serpent life and returned.
Later, after buying her island and adopting children, Raven was truly prepared to live in peace with those children.
But Raven's luck was extremely bad. After buying her own island, it sank at light speed in the destruction caused by the Queen.
Well, then Raven went back to work. This is also the reason why Gray Serpent did not hesitate to send Raven away.
After all, although Raven agrees with the World Serpent's goal, her heart is no longer with the World Serpent. She is simply used to working for the World Serpent... Now it's a win-win situation.
"Rita, someone is following us." Tian Shi reminded Rita, who was preparing to return to the transport ship to read the information.
"Who?" Rita raised her eyebrows slightly. She and Gray Serpent had just reached an agreement, and someone wanted to destroy it?
"Uh... Raven." Tian Shi was a little surprised to see Raven.
Although Raven is a vengeful person, she is obviously not an impulsive person.
Now, suddenly, she's rushing down...
"Oh... it's her. Could it be that she wants to try her other pair of stockings?"
Rita tilted her head, turned around, and looked at the figure coming down the stairs.
"Hey... Is this what a lady should say?" Tian Shi complained.
For some reason, he always felt that Rita's expression seemed eager to try it.
"Because it's rare to meet someone so interesting," Rita smiled.
After tying Raven to a chair and stuffing a stocking in her mouth, Rita no longer had any resentment towards Raven.
After all, there were no real casualties among her own team members.
Rita's resentment towards Raven was more of a fear, but she didn't feel any real "hatred."
Even Rita thought Raven was funny, yes, yes, that expression that seemed to indicate she wanted to kill her, but couldn't.
There's no doubt that it's Rita's bad taste.
"Hmm... but now that we've reached an agreement, I suppose we shouldn't use too much force on her." Rita immediately got lost in thought: "In that case... in what pose should I tie her up?"
"Hey... Does not hitting her too hard have anything to do with how you want to tie her up?"
"It will matter if we fight."
Rita smiled and gave the answer that left Tian Shi speechless.
"Although it's still somewhat difficult to tie her up during combat."
"Coach, I want to learn this!... Well, it's not something others can't learn, right?"
"Well... it's not that I won't tell anyone. Rita pretended to be thoughtful.
"Since Mr. Ghost has helped me so much this time, it's not impossible for me to teach you something."
It was rare for Rita to be willing to teach Tian Shi this "special" skill.
"Excuse me, Miss Rita." However, unexpectedly, Raven who approached Rita showed no hostility.
This attitude made Rita slightly raise her eyebrows.
"Oh... Is there something else Mr. Gray Serpent hasn't told you?"
"As for the matter, there is one thing."
After Raven said this, the corners of her mouth twitched slightly. She was so happy when she came out just now that she had no prepared reason.
But now that things have come to this point, for the sake of the island and the villa, Raven has no choice but to accept the challenge.
"Gray Serpent sent me as that Lord's maid. After all, no matter what, the World Serpent's Lord cannot be harmed by Schicksal."
Good reason! Raven praised herself silently.
"Maid...?" This answer completely exceeded Rita's expectations.
She looked at Raven in surprise. Armored in deep black, decorated with crow feathers... Excuse me for being blunt, but she saw nothing related to a maid in Raven at all.
On the contrary, it truly fits the moniker of Raven.
And as for the other party's personality... I have to say that Rita found Raven very interesting because she realized that the other party was no worse than her in terms of fighting or sarcasm.
Is there anything more satisfying than defeating an opponent of the same rank as you?
A skill at the same level as mine... Where does this woman get the confidence to be a maid?
Miss Rita doesn't reflect on herself at all.
Well, Miss Rita, who can quickly change states, is indeed qualified not to reflect on herself.
"There are also maids who wake their masters up early in the morning with a condescending tone and stepping on them with feet encased in black stockings," Tian Shi seemed to understand what Rita was thinking and couldn't help but complain.
"Mr. Ghost, you've never disappointed me when it comes to perversion."
Rita said in an "as expected" tone.
"If you're willing to serve me tea and water every day, I wouldn't mind scolding you in a condescending tone."
"Miss Rita, you must pay attention to your attitude toward your partner," Tian Shi complained, "Besides, I feel like you're not doing this unwillingly, but rather looking forward to it."
"For a lady, uttering insulting words is a great challenge," Rita smiled.
"I'm very good at criticizing others with a smiling attitude, but I've never tried to insult others with condescension."
Is it still your "first time" with me?, Tian Shi groaned inwardly.
Besides, there's really no difference between your criticisms and insults, right?
Here's Raven whom you just called a mouse.
But to be honest, Rita's words made Tian Shi really want to try it. Cough, cough, cough, no, even if it sounds exciting, this kind of idea is absolutely unacceptable! That said, after both of them became more compatible, Rita seemed to become much more casual with him, and even made some not-so-ladylike jokes.
"What are you and the Lord talking about?"
Raven, who was left to the side, twitched the corners of her mouth.
Please, could you focus on me, the person involved? Do you know you're talking to yourself like a mentally ill person?
"Not much, just talking about your arrangements."
"I don't recall us discussing this kind of topic," Tian Shi complained.
It was obvious that Rita was going to trick Raven.
"Uh... Tell me about it?" Raven also thought the smile on Rita's face was a little strange.
She won't ask me to clean all the toilets in Schicksal headquarters, will she?
"First, learn maid etiquette from me. Only after you pass my test will I allow you to be a maid."
"?" Not only Raven, but also Tian Shi were stunned.
Rita's condition... seems unexpectedly normal?
"Uh... is that all?" Raven asked cautiously, "It's not cleaning the toilet or anything like that?"
This arrangement actually made Raven feel guilty.
Being a maid is actually just an excuse, although she has the idea of taking care of Tian Shi, the truly important thing is to monitor Tian Shi and Rita's movements.
Although it's not malicious, it's still surveillance after all. In this situation, it's completely reasonable to feel guilty after agreeing to the deal.
"...? If you think your specialty is cleaning toilets, I don't mind assigning you all the toilets in Schicksal headquarters, and I can save some cleaning expenses."
"Whose specialty is toilet cleaning?" Raven seemed to realize that Rita didn't have much ill will towards her and became bolder.
"Some people's specialty... even if it's not cleaning the toilet, they can clean toilets."
There was a hint of danger in Rita's eyes.
No ill intentions? Eh... how is that possible? I'll be monitoring you, we're all adults, we all know all the unspoken rules, it's fine for you to stay by my side with an identity.
However, what does "the Lord of World Serpent cannot be wronged by your Schicksal" mean?
Would I, Rita, be the kind of person who would secretly squeeze Tian Shi?
After all, it's much better than you guys, who can't even hear any sound, right?
Besides... the excuse of being a maid, do you think I'm incompetent at being a maid?
Well, although Tian Shi is a ghost, and from Tian Shi's perspective, there's no way to talk about whether he's incompetent or not, but the other party's excuse is still annoying.
—No matter from what angle you look at it, the other party wants to interfere.
Could it be that she thinks Raven can be better than her in terms of being a "maid" and let Tian Shi go with her?
There's no doubt that this is an insult to her personality and her profession.
I think maid training is easy... hehe... The smile on Rita's face grew wider, and Raven felt a chill down her spine.
But for the sake of the island and the villa... not to mention the chills down her spine, even if Rita put the scythe around her neck, she would never back down!
"Come on, Miss Raven, don't stand here; it's cold at night."
Rita kindly took Raven's hand and led her back to the transport ship; if you didn't know what Rita was thinking, I'm afraid anyone would think they were a pair of good sisters.
"..." That said, she felt a chill on her thighs, although this was also thanks to the woman in front of her.
"By the way, is your identity clean?" Rita asked as she walked towards the transport ship.
Even if it were her, she couldn't just bring Raven, someone whose combat power was basically equivalent to an S-class Valkyrie, to join Schicksal.
"Clean." Obviously Raven was prepared for Rita's question.
"Even if Schicksal tries to find out, I can only find out my mercenary status: the first crow and the second serpent feather on the Charon List is me."
"That's truly secure." The other party's tone made Rita look at her with new respect.
Although the previous serum incident made her scoff at the World Serpent in her heart as if it were just a blood-sucking leech, to be fair, the other party was able to do so many things right under Schicksal's nose without being discovered at all, and was indeed worthy of the title of "snake lurking in the shadows."
It was also thanks to Tian Shi that she was able to discover and escape the catastrophe this time. Looking at it this way, she really owes Mr. Ghost a big favor.
"Instead of saying we have confidence, we should ask how much the Bishop has thought about us."
Raven was a little sarcastic about Rita's half-hearted praise.
"Did he treat civilians as human beings during the Siberia incident?"
Otto is a man who has absolutely no problem in terms of ability, and is quite decisive when it comes to making decisions, but as for his mind and character... although it cannot be generalized, in most people's evaluation... hehe.
I only know about the big fire. Even Rita's trust in Otto in these two aspects is only average.
You know, what Rita fears most about this incident is that she and her teammates have been silently abandoned.
Therefore, Rita had no intention of refuting Raven's words. If it weren't for the wrong occasion, she would have wanted to nod slightly to show her agreement.
However, Rita was reluctant to continue this topic. It's just that some information in Raven's words made Rita worry a little.
"Are you a survivor of Siberia?"
"That's right." Speaking of this, Raven's voice suddenly turned cold.
"During the Second Honkai, although my brother and I survived thanks to Lady Cecilia's grace, the Honkai fission bomb that covered most of Siberia afterward..."
"..." Rita was speechless. As the one responsible for doing the dirty work, she naturally knew what the Second Honkai was. In reality, at that time, it was Otto's fault.
It could even be considered a miracle that Raven survived such a brutal bombing.
"My deepest condolences."
"Hmph..." This topic really cooled the atmosphere, and there was even a sense of unpleasantness.
Fortunately, Rita's attitude made Raven's face look better.
"I'm just here to serve that Lord; perhaps I should call him my Lord now. It has nothing to do with you. I will not assassinate Otto for personal feelings; I'm not that stupid."
Although Raven wanted to kill Otto, the madman who dropped fifty Honkai fission bombs on Siberia, she also knew that she was no match for Otto.
Rita nodded.
She felt that there was nothing she could do to comfort the other person in that regard, as long as she didn't do anything stupid.
At the same time, Raven felt a hand placed on her head, as if to comfort her.
Is it the Honorable Lord? But soon, the feeling of that hand disappeared. It was only to comfort her and had no intention of taking advantage of her.
"When you return, I will report your information to the Bishop and agree on the reason, so you don't have to worry about it."
"Then I'll leave it to you." Raven felt a little better. Immediately, Raven thought of something.
"My Lord, I have a question... What is the mobile phone number you left on that computer...?"
"Is it impossible to locate the owner of the mobile phone number?"
Observing the error characters that appeared on the restarted computer, Gray Serpent was not surprised. After all, it was the contact information the other party left for him.
How could it be easily caught by others?
"Of course, if that's the case, then we can only try to call it directly."
"It's a bit dangerous." Jackal was a little worried.
A mobile phone number that couldn't be located at all and whose owner couldn't be found wasn't simple no matter how you looked at it.
What if the other party is tracking me and others?
"I'll be ready for self-destruction at any time." Gray Serpent said lightly in a hoarse voice.
"As for Shencheng Medical... if that Lord truly doesn't cherish it, there's not much to say. I've already copied all the information. Even if we share it, it won't cause us much loss."
After speaking, Gray Serpent no longer hesitated and directly dialed the phone number left by Tian Shi.
Bidu Bidu~~~
A quick, monotonous ringtone came from the mobile phone, and soon the call connected.
"Hello?" The voice on the phone was that of a young man Gray Serpent was somewhat familiar with.
"This is the Joyce family. We do not accept insurance sales or other questionable products. May I ask how I can help you? Hello, can you hear me?"
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This is the first time I've written so much, 4700 words.