NOVEL WEB Chapter 224: Chapter 224: The Meeting
"You need to calm down. Even when it comes to Kiana, don't act impulsively. Only a calm and level-headed approach can resolve issues. Understand, Sigurd?"
Sitting in the secure meeting room, Welt still felt uneasy and offered Sigurd some heartfelt advice.
Sigurd nodded.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. When have you ever seen me act recklessly?" Sigurd replied confidently.
Exactly. Even if Siegfried lost his mind and tried to oppose Kiana, Sigurd would discreetly "resolve the issue" where Kiana wouldn't notice— Ahem. In short, he would never let Kiana be troubled by such matters.
See? He had clearly thought this through. There was no recklessness involved at all!
Despite Sigurd's confidence, Welt still sensed something was off. However, unable to pinpoint any real problem, he chose to set it aside for now.
"Well then, let me recount my experience this time," Welt said with a sigh.
From discovering elder Perros's unusual behavior, replacing the red gemstone fragment, to entering the Herrscher of Thousands' Theater of Domination and everything he witnessed within, Welt shared every detail.
As his account concluded, the other two elders and Sigurd fell silent in thought.
After a moment, Sigurd tapped the table and began to analyze:
"The Herrscher of Thousands has similarities to its counterpart from the Previous Era: multiple avatars, relatively independent, with weak individual abilities but excelling in covert methods. From your account, it seems these avatars have already made sacrifices in the real world, yet their abilities and existence remain concealed. This suggests an ambitious agenda."
Einstein nodded in agreement.
"The plan to infiltrate the Perros family, combined with their involvement in the previous Anti-Entropy purging operations, indicates they've been quietly building considerable influence. On a larger scale, their goal could be to rally capitalists and opportunists opposed to us, using humanity's own forces to dismantle human civilization."
This hypothesis aligned with the concerns Sigurd and Welt shared.
A powerful individual Herrscher could be countered by humanity's current high-tier combat forces. However, if the Herrscher employed tactics of internal civil strife, with them in the open and the Herrscher hidden, the situation became precarious. Given how long the Herrscher of Thousands had been operating in the shadows, any sudden outbreak of their plans could place humanity at a severe disadvantage without adequate preparation.
Sigurd clenched his hand into a fist, resting it against his face as he glanced at Welt.
"Welt's actions might have been a lucky accident, but at least we're now aware of their existence. That means we can start making some plans."
Sigurd pondered for a moment, organizing his thoughts, and then continued:
"First, the opponent has spatial and illusionary abilities that even Herrschers cannot escape from. While Welt managed to handle it with his mature mindset and abilities, others might not be so fortunate. Therefore, all our Herrschers and Herrscher candidates must be relocated to the headquarters' inner city to prevent any vulnerabilities."
The other three nodded in agreement. Whether to safeguard strategic assets or out of personal concern, ensuring the safety of those girls was essential.
"Second, we need to thoroughly investigate the red gemstone mediums and any associated individuals and events to trace their activities. Additionally, we must monitor recent significant anti Anti-Entropy or anti-Schicksal incidents, as they might bear their fingerprints.
Third, share relevant information with Schicksal. If I were the Herrscher of Thousands, while rallying ordinary human factions, I would undoubtedly sow discord between Schicksal and Anti-Entropy. If the cooperative relationship between Schicksal and Anti-Entropy were suddenly disrupted, the consequences could be dire."
These two points were also valid strategies: understanding the enemy while preserving the unity between Anti-Entropy and Schicksal, two titans shaping the world order. It was no exaggeration to say that in their interconnected global reach, a renewed rift between these two organizations might render humanity's survival irrelevant to Honkai's efforts.
"That's the general direction: safeguarding the unity of civilization's key forces and prioritizing intelligence gathering. The rest can be delegated to specialized teams for detailed planning. For now, we adopt conservative measures and adapt as the situation evolves."
Welt nodded slowly, affirming Sigurd's decision.
The Herrscher of Thousands herself was not particularly fearsome; the real concern lay in her long-brewing schemes within human society. The greater the strength of a civilization, the more devastating its internal conflicts could become. Humanity, with its current foundation, could not afford major internal turmoil.
The key was for the leadership of these organizations to remain composed. As long as they proceeded steadily and methodically, no matter how many schemes the Herrscher of Thousands had, they would ultimately be exposed.
Einstein appeared to have thought of something and looked up at Sigurd.
"There's one more matter. This incident should be discussed with Taixu Mountain. The Herrscher of Thousands likely wouldn't be foolish enough to directly provoke the Red Kite Immortal, but… her weakness is too obvious. If the Book of Fuxi were compromised, it would be troublesome. Moreover, Miss Fu Hua's expertise in the realm of consciousness could be the perfect counter to the Herrscher of Thousands."
Sigurd's eyes lit up, and he nodded appreciatively at Einstein.
"Dr. Einstein is right; we should indeed keep an eye on Fu Hua's situation. Let's settle it this way: I'll have a chat with Herral, and Welt can contact Fu Hua. For the remaining details, I'll count on you, Dr. Einstein."
"I have no issue with disseminating information and conveying strategic directives."
"Then that concludes it... Dr. Tesla, do you have anything to add?"
As Sigurd finished speaking, all three pairs of eyes turned to Tesla, who was toying with the ends of her crimson hair.
Tesla froze momentarily and then stammered:
"I— well— Oh! My Tesla-10086 Destruction Robot is complete! It's the pinnacle of robotics. If that Herrscher of Thousands dares to show up, I'll dismantle her into a Herrscher of Ten Thousand! Trust me, Tesla's robots never disappoint!"
Her ruby-like eyes darted nervously, but she forced herself to appear confident.
"Sigh…" ×3
The other three sighed simultaneously.
Tesla immediately erupted in anger.
"╰（‵□′）╯Hey! What's with that reaction!?"
Expressionless, Sigurd replied:
"Dr. Tesla, there are a few recent projects. It's best if you stay in the lab and contribute to humanity's technological advancements."
"I agree. Dr. Tesla's talent is unparalleled in the laboratory—nowhere else can her genius shine brighter," Einstein added with practiced flattery.
This mollified Tesla's fury, though she hesitated briefly before straightening her posture and saying:
"At least you have good taste! Bring on as many projects as you want, and witness the unrivaled brilliance of my creations!"
Tesla reluctantly accepted their suggestion.
Thus, the meeting concluded smoothly.
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