Volume 2, Chapter 13: The Byproduct of Sirin's Plan

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The three-hour training session concluded smoothly, with some giving up midway while others persevered till the end.

Xia Chen paid no heed to these outcomes.

Saint Freya's lenient environment made it challenging to systematically train powerful Valkyries, so there was no need for him to be overly strict.

He realized he might have learned this approach from Durandal herself.

After the training ended, Xia Chen didn't linger in the training room. It was time for him to investigate the whereabouts of the Jizo Mitama Control Unit.

This task wouldn't be easy. Regardless of Theresa's broad-mindedness, she couldn't remain indifferent to another Divine Key, the Jizo Mitama. To inquire about its whereabouts, he had two options:

First, stealthily investigate various locations. Second, directly ask Theresa.

Neither choice seemed favorable.

He hadn't received any training in covert investigation, making it highly likely that he would get caught if he tried.

And asking Theresa outright, he couldn't possibly reveal that he harbored the consciousness of the Herrscher of Corruption from the previous civilization.

"Rin, can you sense the presence of a Herrscher Core?"

"No." The girl residing within the Red Sakura responded crisply, "I've never felt the power of a Herrscher Core; by the time I gained such strength, I was already dead."

Her voice carried a hint of melancholy at this admission.

After becoming a Herrscher, her individual consciousness essentially ceased to exist, leaving her unfamiliar with the essence of corruption powers.

"However... if there's access to a computer, I could give it a try."

She then suggested, "I believe I can enter the information flow to search for Jizo Mitama's whereabouts."

Xia Chen pondered and asked, "Would it be dangerous?"

"Not likely for me, but I'm unsure about any risks to the computer itself."

Rin possessed the power of corruption, with information serving as her sustenance. However, she worried that entering the computer might trigger its firewall system.

If so, it could jeopardize the computer itself.

"Let's give it a try," Xia Chen decided after a moment. "Would creating a channel for data exchange between me and Saint Freya's internal systems be too complicated?"

"No, that shouldn't be difficult for me."

Quickly, he located a suitable computer.

Soon after, the overwhelming flood of information began to strain Xia Chen's mind.

Within his consciousness, he saw a pink-haired girl establishing a connection, allowing a continuous stream of data to pour into his brain.

Fortunately, having experienced multiple simulation scenarios tainted by the Will of Honkai and Finality, he had grown accustomed to handling such torrents of junk information.

Even now, remnants of Finality's informational markers persisted within his consciousness.

It was uncertain what consequences this might have.

Xia Chen dismissed these thoughts and began navigating through this information space.

If human bodies exist in three dimensions, then the realm of information resides in two dimensions. This is the Authority of the Herrscher of Corruption, capable of corrupting all data within a two-dimensional space.

After Rin filtered through the records, Xia Chen found a piece of information related to the Jizo Mitama:

"Suspected Divine Key weapon from the previous era, sent to Anti-Entropy for analysis."

Xia Chen was slightly taken aback.

Already dispatched?

But that wasn't the main concern; rather, it seemed surprising that Theresa would collaborate with Anti-Entropy at this point in time.

Upon reflection, it made sense. If Theresa hadn't established contact with Anti-Entropy earlier, she wouldn't have immediately reached out to them during Kiana's rescue mission or willingly handed over command of HMS Hood.

"Rin, let's exit now."

"Hmm."

Since the Jizo Mitama wasn't at Saint Freya, there was no further need for him to investigate.

However, just as Xia Chen was about to exit, he stumbled upon something else:

Cecilia's clone.

Within this related information, a specific term caught his attention:

[Sirin Project.]

The Sirin Stigmata within his body seemed to resonate, and Xia Chen sensed the silent plea from the young girl's consciousness.

Cecilia's clone was a byproduct of Sirin's plan.

Perhaps Otto believed relying solely on emotional bonds wasn't enough. If any deviations occurred with Kiana's Sirin Project, leading to changes in her consciousness,

then this clone would emerge at the opportune moment.

Responding to the plea from the girl within the Stigmata, Xia Chen harnessed his still unfamiliar powers and infiltrated Saint Freya's basement.

This hidden location likely went unnoticed even by Theresa, as no one else seemed aware of it currently.

However, the equipment remained operational, and the computer consoles were kept clean. Clearly, someone frequently maintained this area.

It became evident that Otto had planted a trusted confidant within Saint Freya, controlling everything in the laboratory.

Whether that confidant was Fu Hua or someone else remained uncertain.

Regardless, orchestrating such a large underground laboratory without Theresa's knowledge showcased exceptional cunning.

Schicksal truly has its share of talented individuals, doesn't it, Theresa?

Xia Chen didn't dwell on these thoughts and instead focused on the cultivation tanks.

He couldn't do anything to Cecilia's clones, nor was there much he could accomplish.

While souls might exist in this world, resurrecting the dead is an incredibly challenging task; otherwise, Otto wouldn't have gone through such lengths.

Even Kiana, carrying Sirin's genes, fundamentally represents a new life, albeit one who believes herself as derived from Sirin.

Having experienced multiple lifetimes himself, Xia Chen held no particular attachment or obsession towards Cecilia's clone. He had never developed any emotional connection with her.

His visit here was due to Stigma Sirin's request.

In his hazy consciousness, he heard the girl speak to him:

"Could you spare some Honkai Energy?"

"I want to create a stigma space where she can be present."

"Yes, I can."

Xia Chen possessed over a hundred Honkai Fragments. After considering briefly, he decided to extract half of them directly. With his body akin to a voracious beast, he swiftly absorbed all the extracted Honkai Energy.

Guided by the Stigmata, this energy then entered the stigma space.

Even now, Xia Chen was unsure of the true nature of stigma spaces. Were they miniature worlds, higher-dimensional realms for consciousness, or perhaps the source of Stigmata power itself? It seemed difficult to explain through scientific means.

However, he wasn't part of the Science Division and didn't need such detailed understanding.

As he handed numerous Honkai Fragments to Sirin, he suddenly felt another force behind him—Ana's jealousy.

Xia Chen had no choice but to give away the remaining fragments to appease Ana.

Maintaining balance between them wasn't easy at all.

He genuinely had none left.

Eventually, Xia Chen departed from this location using the Virtual Space created by Sirin. As for Cecilia's clone, he made no further moves on it.

In his stigma space, Sirin already had her version of Cecilia. Thus, this secondary creation likely served little purpose.