Vill-V carefully surveyed the ruined surroundings. A Herrscher-level, high-intensity Honkai energy battle had once taken place here. The intensity had even surpassed the battles she had experienced against the Herrscher of Thunder and the Herrscher of Wind.
But there was one thing she could not understand. There were only traces of Honkai energy combat here, yet the residual Honkai energy was pitifully scarce.
There were not even any zombies or Honkai Beasts born here. If a Herrscher had made a move, a large number of Honkai Beasts should have manifested within real space.
Zombies and Honkai Beasts were not limited to being transformed from living creatures. As long as the Honkai energy level was high enough, they could be born out of thin air. Moreover, Honkai Beasts born in that manner were far more powerful than those created through transformation.
Was the battle so intense that all the Honkai creatures had been completely smashed apart? But where were the corpses? Although Honkai creatures were silicon-based lifeforms, they still left bodies behind.
Yet here there was nothing but rubble from collapsed buildings. No corpses at all—neither Honkai Beasts nor humans.
Vill-V's gaze moved along the viewing window of the Cosmic Juggernaut as she searched for survivors. Suddenly, she locked onto two figures conversing in the distance. One of them, with bright red twin-tails shaped like lobster claws, was exceptionally eye-catching even on this scorched land.
"Isn't that Dr. Tesla? See, I told you—I definitely don't have a terrible sense of direction. Don't tell me Dr. Tesla built some kind of super-weapon and blew up the Anti-Entropy base herself. As expected of the most dangerous inventor in history."
Without hesitation, Vill-V leapt down from the Cosmic Juggernaut and flew toward the lobster-headed doctor using a floating pivot device.
Of course, she could have chosen a more direct approach—such as piloting the Cosmic Juggernaut straight into Tesla to give her a "surprise." But she needed to confirm Tesla's current condition first. Even if she wanted to talk to her, she could not be too stimulating.
At that moment, Dr. Tesla was furiously swearing at the doctor beside her.
When she saw her "student" arrive, her pupils trembled violently.
"Vill-V?!"
Seeing that familiar figure, Tesla's heart filled with both joy and confusion.
She immediately activated the defensive mechanism built into her exoskeleton gloves and cautiously examined Vill-V from head to toe.
It made Vill-V wonder whether Tesla had just gone through some kind of clone apocalypse.
After confirming that Vill-V was the real one—and mentally sound—Tesla finally let out a sigh of relief. She stepped forward and asked, "Are you alright? That old fox Otto didn't do anything to you, did he?"
"What could he possibly do to me? I'm the greatest genius scientist of the future. My IQ is way higher than his. Otto wants to keep me? As if. He doesn't even have the ability to throw me in prison."
Vill-V thumped her chest proudly, her face full of smug self-satisfaction.
"By the way, isn't this the Anti-Entropy base? Where's the base?"
Tesla raised an eyebrow slightly. Vill-V claiming she was smarter than Otto was something Tesla naturally didn't believe. She had seen Otto before and knew exactly how terrifyingly intelligent he was.
Even if Otto was just a tiny bit inferior to her in intellect, he was still not someone to be taken lightly.
But seeing that Vill-V was safe, Tesla felt reassured.
"It's good that you're back. We're severely short on manpower in every area right now. Your return is just in time to help."
"Ha, this isn't just a manpower shortage," the woman in a white coat beside them sighed. She was the one who had been speaking with Tesla earlier—their attending physician, Dr. Morgan.
"Let me remind you again. We don't just lack manpower. We practically have none."
Tesla hurriedly covered her mouth.
"Don't make it sound so terrifying! What if Vill-V hears that and runs off?"
"I'm still right here, Mentor Tesla."
Vill-V crossed her arms and pouted irritably.
Tesla cleared her throat, doing her best to steady her voice.
"Ahem. In any case, you must be confused about what happened here. Get in the car first. We'll talk while we're on the move."
...
"So you're saying Professor Planck suddenly acted like a completely different person and attacked you without any warning?" Vill-V asked in surprise.
"To be precise, she wasn't targeting us. She came for Welt... that idiot who holds the power of a Herrscher." Tesla drove an old, requisitioned car as she explained everything that had happened during this period.
Well, well. A Herrscher of the Previous Era versus a Herrscher of the Current Era.
But judging from the level of destruction at the scene, it shouldn't have stopped at destroying just one base. After all, that was a clash between two Herrschers—
At the very least, it should have wiped out a rooftop and a playground too.
"What happened afterward? Who won?" Vill-V was extremely curious. That kind of showdown was the sort of iconic scene that only appeared in massive brawls.
"Hmph. That guy Welt got completely flattened by Planck."
Ha. The Herrscher of the Current Era really is inferior.
Although Vill-V had already anticipated this, hearing the outcome still left her with an indescribable sense of helplessness.
Herrschers of the Previous Era were simply that outrageous. And unlike the current era, there were no Herrschers defecting to humanity's side back then. How was humanity even supposed to fight that?
Should they just find a way to ferry over a few more Herrschers from the Previous Era? Otto would probably be delighted.
Thinking of Welt's safety, Vill-V continued asking, "If Welt lost, then how did you manage to escape? Was it Edison? She shouldn't have used her ability. Every time she does, it shortens her lifespan."
Although Vill-V had extended Edison's future, it also meant that every time Edison used her power, she consumed a portion of that future.
Yet Tesla gave an answer that defied all logic.
"Huh? Why would we need to escape? Planck had no intention of attacking us."
What? She beat Welt flat, but didn't attack Tesla and the others?
Then what about the ground that had been plowed over by artillery, scorched flat by extreme heat, and carved through three or four times by immense gravitational force? Was that all fake?
Seeing the question marks written all over Vill-V's face, Tesla felt a trace of relief and even a bit of secret satisfaction.
Looks like Vill-V doesn't know everything after all.
After all, if Vill-V truly had control over every piece of information, then what would be left for the rest of these so-called geniuses? Would they simply become insignificant, forced to rely entirely on her plans?
That would also make Einstein lose her sense of security in controlling the overall situation.
Speaking of Dr. Einstein, Tesla couldn't help but start grumbling again.
"On the other hand, Einstein acted just like that idiot—rushing forward to block bullets for Welt. As if the bullets from a Divine Key are that easy to stop. In the end, she nearly lost her life."