NOVEL NEXT Chapter 300: Self and Escape
"Anna!" A hurried call echoed inside the transport ship. Chen Tianwu, jolted awake, was covered in cold sweat. Only after seeing where he was did he manage to calm down.
"Is that the name of the girl you've been searching for?" A clear, cold voice came from the ship's window. Chen Tianwu turned to see Raven, who was holding her sniper rifle and resting with her eyes closed.
Sunlight shone through the glass and onto Raven, giving her a golden aura. She opened her crimson eyes, meeting Chen Tianwu's gaze.
"No, it's none of your business." Chen Tianwu looked away, pressing his forehead and wiping away the sweat. His voice was hoarse, laced with fatigue. But his right hand, subconsciously clenching into a fist, showed that he was far from calm.
His actions didn't escape Raven's notice, but she didn't say anything more. She turned her head to look at the ocean speeding by outside the window, and after a moment of silence, she spoke, "Chen Tianwu, I don't care what your goal is, but I hope you won't waver during the mission. It's just the two of us on this operation, and I don't want to have to clean up your mess."
Though she said that, Raven herself wasn't confident. After all, their enemy was a Herrscher, and even with the Staff of the Underworld, she wasn't completely sure she could escape unscathed.
In the past, she wouldn't have had such concerns. But the incident with the children had been a huge blow to her. The confident Raven's claws were no longer as sharp as they used to be.
That's why she used this way to subtly reassure Chen Tianwu, hoping that he would cooperate with her smoothly and successfully complete the Herrscher capture mission.
The ship fell silent, and neither of them spoke.
Chen Tianwu took out his phone, and after hesitating for a moment, he entered the specific website address into his browser. With less than half a second of loading time, the familiar forum appeared again.
The Obsidian Concord forum was very strange. Logically, World Serpent's base should have been blocking external networks, but this forum seemed to be pre-installed in the system. Even if Chen Tianwu disconnected from the network, it would load properly.
While Raven wasn't watching, Chen Tianwu clicked on the post with his name on it. The post roughly recorded his life and family relations. This information could easily be found with a bit of investigation.
What made him uneasy was that the information even mentioned his encounter with Anna during the Honkai eruption two years ago. This was clearly a secret between the two of them, yet these words recorded it as if from a God's-eye view. Though it was only a brief mention, it was enough to make Chen Tianwu uneasy.
The Obsidian Concord, what exactly is it?
Unable to find an answer to his doubts, Chen Tianwu tried to read other posts, but apart from his own, all of them indicated insufficient permissions.
This was almost a direct indication that he was being watched by the Obsidian Concord, and Chen Tianwu couldn't help but feel a bit of fear.
But soon this fear dissipated. As an agent of World Serpent, Chen Tianwu's reasoning logic wasn't bad. He quickly realized that if this information was left behind by Moth, then this Obsidian Concord was likely the entity that had been providing Moth with information.
If this mysterious entity had been watching him all along, then the credibility of the information about Anna that had appeared in his hands a few hours ago became much higher.
"Anna, the Snow Lotus Squad."
Chen Tianwu closed his phone, looked at Raven, who was resting, and asked seriously, "Raven, are you sure Schicksal hasn't detected any Herrscher activity before we take action?"
"Of course. World Serpent now has the Sovereign in charge. We can predict the timing of the Herrscher's appearance by observing the energy convergence in the Imaginary Space in advance. Before detecting any Herrscher signals, we've already locked onto the node of the Honkai eruption. Even if Schicksal arrives, it'll take them at least a few hours."
"What about the Snow Lotus Squad you mentioned?"
"The Snow Lotus Squad is just a squad led by an A-rank Valkyrie. They have no ability to handle a Herrscher."
"So, there isn't any Valkyrie squad that can reach the Herrscher before us?"
"Unless they are already at the center of the Honkai eruption." Raven shook her head slightly and continued, "If they are at the center of the Honkai, anyone below S-rank would have basically no chance of surviving."
According to the information, the Snow Lotus Squad, where Anna was, was stationed on the outskirts of Coral Island, at least several hundred kilometers from where the Herrscher would appear. Even if the Snow Lotus Squad reacted quickly, it would still take them at least an hour to reach the disaster center.
Thinking about this, Chen Tianwu relaxed.
As long as he defeated the Herrscher before the Snow Lotus Squad arrived, he could ensure Anna wouldn't be involved in this Honkai incident. And this was the reason Chen Tianwu was risking his life to participate in this capture mission.
Looking at the approaching Coral Island, Chen Tianwu took a deep breath. He clutched the heart-shaped pendant in his pocket, his eyes filled with determination.
Unnoticed by anyone, some invisible threads had already wrapped tightly around Chen Tianwu's body.
…
"It's so cold." In the endless darkness, Anna felt like her consciousness was almost frozen.
However, facing the Honkai's encroachment, Anna didn't give up. Her belief as a Valkyrie still supported her and helped her maintain her sanity.
But as the encroachment intensified, her sanity was also rapidly fading.
Her consciousness kept sinking. Anna felt like a drowning person falling into the deep sea, helplessly watching her body sink deeper and deeper. But as her thoughts gradually blurred, many buried memories resurfaced in her mind.
A faint light replaced the infinite darkness, and the scene gradually became clear.
Anna opened her eyes, and the magnificent Schicksal emblem was what she saw.
"This is...?" The memories in her mind quickly rewound. The dizziness in Anna's mind gradually faded, and she quickly identified with the person in her memory.
…
She was wearing a clean uniform, feeling nervous and expectant, as she solemnly bowed in the crowd.
Today was the day she had been looking forward to for a long time. All her efforts had been for this moment when her dream would come true.
The young woman clenched her fist, secretly cheering herself on, before proclaiming loudly.
"I, Anna Schariac, hereby declare."
"From this day on, I will be loyal to Schicksal, dedicating my noble life."
"I will bring hope to those trapped in disasters, and fight for every suffering victim."
"I will dedicate everything to humanity, sparing no effort in the fight to eliminate the Honkai."
"From this day on, I am willing to become one of Schicksal's glorious Valkyries!"
That was the day she swore her oath to become a Valkyrie. Anna would never forget that day. Even if it was just a memory, she felt genuinely proud. It was with this belief that Anna had come this far. It was also with this belief that she had been able to resist the Honkai's encroachment for so long.
But as Anna's consciousness gradually cleared, a voice entered her ears.
In an instant, the scene of the oath in front of her shattered completely. What appeared before her again was a desolate scene.
"Anna, why did you run away? Why did you abandon my sister and run away alone?"
"You're the one who killed her! You're not worthy of being a Valkyrie!"
"If you abandoned my sister, why did you save me?!"
In this city destroyed by the Honkai, the belief that the young woman had just gathered collapsed. Her pupils contracted violently, and the most terrifying memories hidden deep within her instantly engulfed her like a tidal wave.