It was destio be a sleepless night. The things that happened in the span of ten or so minutes caused tens of millions of casualties. By the time it was midnight, the casualty t was over sixty-five million. The property damages numbered in trillions. The global ey that took heavy hits secutively is shown to not be able to recover in the few decades or so.

  Food prices went through the roof, and the regution of firearms and other ons became looser.

  Most importantly, Fire MOTH’s credibility this time took a big hit.

  ‘These guys couldn’t sit still.’

  Mei recalled earlier reports from Vill-V. More thahousand ats calling out Fire MOTH’s high-level MANTISes added salt to the injury. These ats were all liogether by numerous works. Ordinary teis wouldn’t be able to see their ins, but Vill-V wasn’t one of them.

  In the end, their tracks led to a subsidiary digital security pany that just so happeo be funded by one of the current cilors.

  ‘Should we… no. It is better to wait food timing.’

  Mei and the rest weren’t oblivious as to which cilors betrayed them. As early as two and a half months ago, they already have a prehensive list of the cilors who have acted strangely.

  Three such cilors stood out when it came to making trouble. They tried their best to influehe five institutes using their hidden cards, creating some deliberate acts or data leaks every now and then.

  Of course, they only touched the surface. The core projects of eastitute are only accessible to a select trusted individuals. heless, the seemingly superficial trouble turned into a huge loss when three out of the five Herrschers in the major eruption today turned out to be Fire MOTH researchers.

  ‘If we catch them cooperating with one or two Herrschers… Vill-V’s iion should be done soon.’

  Tap.

  Tap.

  Tap.

  Mei tapped her crossed shoulder in a rhythmic pattern. She was deep in thought until someone walked beside her. His tall height made her look up at him, though the gap wasn’t that big with her high heels.

  Aleph handed her a gss tumbler filled with hot coffee. White steam came off when Mei unlocked the small lid. They were at the rooftop of the Mu ti branch. The two overlooked the ey below.

  Mei pced the tumbler on her eye level and saw it was only three-fourths full. sidering Aleph’s habits, he always makes sure to fill aire tumbler with coffee.

  In short, he drank some of it already.

  A teasing smile was formed on her lips. Aleph saw it and jolted slightly. He knew she to something.

  “W-what? We’ve shared drinks with this tumbler more than a dozen times.”

  “It’s nothing.”

  Mei did not mind and drank directly from it. She g Aleph and saw he wasn’t deep in his thoughts pared to before.

  “Do yret it?” She asked.

  “That we hadn’t taken a against those cilors? Slightly.”

  Aleph has a cheat called elemental sight. As long as somethied in this world, their very traces would be left on the ‘information dimension’. Even the Sea of Quanta was no exception.

  He previously thought that the ‘information dimension’ was limited to the pce where this ability inated, but he was wrong. It was a ‘dimension’ present even in this world filled with honkai.

  Elemental Sight allowed him to see the traces left by the Sixth Herrscher. It served two things: firmation on which cilors defected as well as the Herrscher’s high-level of intelligence.

  Oime, Aleph tried to ambush her in a random city. It wasn’t even a sed when she disappeared to the Sea of Quanta with the unknown means she mastered—emphasis on unknown.

  It was then did they decide to let her be. Until Vill-V fihe device that locks space, or if a Herrscher shows up on a cilor, Aleph will not make any moves.

  Never did he imagi would end up with sixty-five million casualties.

  “I’m pnning to take it back with i. My current speed and strength should be able to deal with most of the honkai beasts that appear now.”

  “...”

  Hearing su absurd pn, Mei simply nodded. It sounds ridiculous when it es from others, but if it h, he could do just that.

  The st three months involved him either dug core projects or killing honkai beasts. It was extreme to the point that no emperor-css honkai beasts were present prior to the seveion. That included the ones on the sea.

  For a time, only tempr-csses and below remained living.

  “The readings from before reached 3,000 HW. They’re being stronger.” Mei ented. “I think you should leave more to the others. It’s better for them to be more indepe.”

  “Alright.

  Just as their topic halted, Mei brought up something else.

  “Oh, that’s right. How was the girl whom you bought aire hospital for?”

  “Miss Aponia? Well, she’s fine. Remember that one ELF based on me? I statio there.”

  Aleph tried his best to remain calm outwardly. Her probing questions made him feel like there was something else.

  “e to think of it, she also had that girl as a bodyguard. It’s just ued. Her results as a high-level MANTIS was subpar bat-wise.”

  “She’s more suited to logistics. But then, I’m already w with Vill-V to fix the logistics issue.”

  “Vill-V.”

  The mention of Vill-V’s name made him ugh a bit.

  “We didn’t expect this, did we? We’re relying on her more thahought.”

  Aleph stated, to which Mei agreed.

  “She has the talent. I believe in it.” She paused for a while before adding, “Vill-V might be more talehan us Mobius in terms of intellect.”

  Unlike Mobius who spent years inside Fire MOTH, Vill-V had only been a researcher for less than three years. Later on, she stated how she was self-taught. Nobody could imagine how a self-taught girl ended up creating Honkai ons, PRI-ARMs (Enhanced and ized Honkai ons), Divine Keys, each being more terrifying tha.

  Mei did not tialking. Seemingly dissatisfied with having two other women as their topics, she pced the tumbler atop her breasts. Due to the rge base, the tumbler was as secured as it could ever be.

  Her fingers circled on each other as she pyfully looked at Aleph. The tter’s calm look was broken with a tinge of red.

  “So? Do you want to rest in my office?”

  *****

  A/N: I uploaded the wrong chapter yesterday. This is the missing chapter 168. These events predate the 169 (the experimentation oraining space). This should also be the chapter of the day, though I'll try and see whether I could write a bonus chapter today.

  Once again, I'm sorry for the mistake.