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Chapter 280: Within Reach
🕑 Added 2025-05-06 15:20:37 +0000 UTCIt wasn’t only Anti-Entropy who got in trouble.
As the largest organization dedicated to combating honkai, Schicksal currently has a lot on their plates. The sudden event revealed the existence of ‘supernatural’ to the entire world; and in turn, the honkai.
“Freezing time…”
Otto stared intently at the video presented on the computer screen. A valkyrie was fighting a horde of honkai beast when the marks appeared. Her combat prowess was rendered useless.
Buzz-!
The said valkyrie fell into the protection of that thin white light. It was a membrane of sorts that ‘froze’ the attacks from harming the girl.
Ding-!
A notification came from his desktop. It was a hastily compiled report regarding the initial findings of this phenomenon. It fell into the category of Project Stigma. The very same project that allowed Schicksal to produce Stigmatas to their valkyries.
“A natural stigmata… Just like the Herrscher’s.”
Otto’s eyes skimmed that certain part and headed to the protection mechanism.
“Stopping time. Not freezing.”
Freezing time is not a huge feat. It was already discovered way back in the Previous Era. Otto used it to improve the Time Fracture module, allowing Valkyries to ‘freeze’ time within ten short bursts of ten seconds.
The stronger Valkyries could bear the burden of even stronger Time Fracture modules.
It was precisely because of this discovery that he became somewhat crazed.
“A being who can manipulate the time of an entire planet. Could it be…”
Amidst the countless dead ends, he saw an answer ahead—one that could bring back the person he loved the most.
If he could kill everyone to bring her back, he would do so.
Such is the resolve of the person named Otto Apocalypse.
“God…”
*****
Fifty thousand years.
Technically, it wasn’t fifty thousand years. Everyone who survived ‘slept’ inside the fifth Divine Key for a period of time.
Nevertheless, it was a period long enough to wear anyone out.
Anyone except Kevin.
His sole mission is to lead humanity to victory. No matter what it takes.
His iron-clad belief remained firm upon facing his long-lost friend.
“Will you believe me if I told you humanity could win?”
“...You can do it.”
“Well.” Aleph nodded as a pure white dot emerged atop his palm. “You’re a lot more serious than we last met.”
“...”
“You’re not even taking my jokes well.”
Looking at Kevin’s “deadpan”, or rather, lack of reaction, Aleph sighed. His eyes turned serious as he looked straight at him.
“I’ll take care of everything else. Can you trust me?”
“...Yes.”
Surprisingly, Kevin did not insist on making things difficult. Aleph was surprised, but then, he remembered Kevin’s personality.
Project Stigma is the final last resort he planned to use last. He gave humanity enough “chances”. Even in the original, that was the case. The fight between him and the trio is his way of giving humanity one last chance—a chance to prove he was wrong.
“I know you have some things to say. Come on, don’t be shy.”
“...”
Aleph’s carefree way of speaking rendered Kevin speechless. His ‘joking’ tone became even worse than what he could remember. At the very least, Aleph back then had restraints with his intrusive thoughts.
The Aleph in front of him gave off a feeling that he won’t mind spitting these intrusive thoughts out.
“Is this world… meaningless?”
“No.” Aleph quickly retorted. “It is not meaningless. Haven’t you seen the Kevin from our side?”
“...”
Kevin fell silent for the third time.
In the real Kevin, he saw the ideal life. The battle with honkai ensued at humanity’s advantage. If he had a gripe with that ‘world’, it was his denseness.
“Oh. You finally realized it.”
Aleph pointed it out with a laugh.
“You’re not usually a dense bloke. That’s your decisions biting you back.”
He did not stop laughing at Kevin’s ‘small’ dilemma. Even he did not expect Kevin would end up with Hua’s best friend. He did not think Kevin would fall for a tomboy.
‘It’s understandable.’ He thought. ‘They met a lot. It’s just that… his hate towards Mobius is understandable, too.’
Mobius indirectly caused Carole’s death. It was a lot more surprising to see Kevin stopping his anger from erupting. He allowed Mobius’ continued existence despite the fact he could have interfered with her.
After all, he is the farthest out of the five survivors. His mind and physical body evolved to contain complex information. Although his progress with these two aspects fall slightly behind the other four, their combination made him stronger than them.
It is a process similar to the Five Supers System. Evolving the body and then the mind is the ‘most successful’ way to transcend the mortal coil, thus becoming a God.
If the others had a progress of ten percent, Kevin had twenty percent.
Unfortunately, he met his blockade early on. Stealing a small part of the Cocoon’s power meant nothing to it. The successive ‘stealing’ of Kevin and Mobius, however, prompted the Cocoon to enter its protective state.
Not only did it intensify the ‘fluctuations’ from these fragments, it began to consciously monitor its surroundings.
The moment these two fragments ‘break free’ from Kevin’s and Mobius’ grasp, the Cocoon would actively find them. That action alone could destroy Earth.
Its implications, coupled with the fact it continuously drove his body to the breaking point, made it difficult to make further progress.
It was still enough to initiate Project Stigma’s last stage, however.
“I thought we have to do more talking.”
“What if I didn’t agree?”
“Then we’ll have to do it the old way.” Aleph replied as he raised his fist. “We haven’t gotten ourselves in a fistfight yet, no?”
“...I’d rather not.”
Knowing it would end up in Aleph’s victory, Kevin shook his head.
This little bit of conversation unknowingly brought him back to the old times.
“What should I do? Give the fragment to you?”
“That has to wait. We still need to settle some things on Earth.”
Aleph thought of the Pink Elf who is waiting for him on the Moon.
“I need to finish something on my end. Then, we can begin.”
He went in a slight daze as he thought of it.
‘Finality’s test… I am about to finish it.’
All the unpredictability appeared in his mind. From how he was unknowingly manipulated down to Finality’s ‘intent’ in doing so…
‘I will have an answer.’
